YouTuber Jake Paul Facing Backlash After Videos Show Him At Looted Arizona Mall

The controversial YouTuber denied looting and said he was there “strictly documenting” the experience.

Jake Paul in October 2019/ Getty Images
Jake Paul in October 2019/ Getty Images

Jake Paul is facing a wave of criticism after multiple videos surfaced that show him and his group of friends looting an Arizona mall. 

During a weekend of protests and civil unrest throughout the country over the death of George Floyd, many businesses and homes were damaged, and stores were raided by hoards of looters. The looting and vandalism were offshoots to the many otherwise peaceful demonstrations held to protest police brutality.

A video shared on Sunday captured Paul at a Scottsdale, AZ mall coming out of a looted P.F. Chang's restaurant and walking around as the mall is vandalized. Another person in the video can be seen handing him a bottle of vodka seemingly taken from the restaurant. 

Several people criticized Paul after seeing the looting and destruction of the mall, including other popular influencers like Elijah Daniel. 

After more videos were shared throughout Sunday of the controversial YouTuber, Paul responded in a statement claiming that he and his group did not participate in any looting or vandalism. He went on to say that they were participating in the protests and decided to film everything they saw “in an effort to share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighborhood we traveled through.”

Despite his statement, Paul continued to receive backlash from people saying he used the movement against racial injustice to promote his already massive brand, noting that he’s worth millions of dollars and could have donated money instead. Paul has more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube and is estimated to be worth more than $11 million, according to Forbes. 

The 23-year-old and his brother Logan Paul have been at the center of multiple controversies throughout the years, including accusations by multiple women of being drugged during a party at his mansion. A lawyer for Jake Paul told BuzzFeed News in May 2019 that “We take this claim very seriously.”