Youtube star Jake Paul has no plans to stop throwing parties amid the COVID-19 pandemic, insisting that he won’t ‘sit around and not live my life’ even as over 154,000 people have died across the US.
The 23-year-old, who rose to fame on the now-defunct app Vine and is known for posting reckless and adventurous videos on YouTube, faced backlash after throwing a wild party at his Calabasas mansion on July 14.
But after Calabasas mayor Alicia Weintraub expressed ‘outrage’ over the ‘outrageous gathering’ in which dozens of people without masks drank and danced, Paul indicated to Insider last week that he would continue to do what he wants.
Sorry not sorry: Youtube star Jake Paul has no plans to stop throwing parties amid the COVID-19 pandemic
What pandemic? The 23-year-old faced backlash after throwing a wild party at his Calabasas mansion on July 14
Party time! A man who appears to be Paul is seen in this video where a crowd of people surround a table filled with red solo cups and drinks
Carefree: At the party wild attendees were seen swinging from a construction backhoe in the backyard
Videos emerged on social media shortly after the party, where revelers showed no concern for social distancing or wearing protective masks.
People were seen drinking, playing beer pong, and swinging off a construction backhoe at the gathering.
Revelers were both indoors and outdoors, crowded closely together without a mask in sight.
Calabasas mayor Alicia Weintraub was left outraged after learning of the party and says she’s looking into ‘all options’ for penalties for Paul.
Paul told Insider that he spoke to the mayor and ‘everything is cool,’ though he didn’t elaborate on what she said.
The mayor, meanwhile, said she didn’t speak to Paul at all, and only a representative for the the YouTuber. She said that possible fines would be issues in the future and the sheriff’s department would intervene.
Condemned: Calabasas mayor Alicia Weintraub expressed ‘outrage’ over the ‘outrageous gathering’ in which dozens of people without masks drank and danced
Whatever! But Paul didn’t say that would put an end to his wild bashes, and insisted that it wasn’t clear to him how he should be behaving
No masks here! Video from the gathering shows people gathered around the staircase and ignoring social distancing measures
‘I don’t know what to think of it, to be honest. I don’t think anyone really does,’ Paul said about pandemic restrictions
‘No one has answers, our leadership is failing us, and everyone kind of just doesn’t know what to do,’ he added, despite several decrees on what to do from various government officials
But Paul didn’t say that would put an end to his wild bashes, and insisted that it wasn’t clear to him how he should be behaving.
‘I don’t know what to think of it, to be honest. I don’t think anyone really does,’ he said. ‘No one has answers, our leadership is failing us, and everyone kind of just doesn’t know what to do.
‘But I personally am not the type of person who’s gonna sit around and not live my life,’ he added.
Paul’s July 16 party was thrown in spite of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desperate plea for people to be wary of the virus.
As of Sunday, the state has had 509,162 confirmed cases and 9,356 deaths.
‘I was very upset that somebody would hold such an outrageous gathering in our community,’ Mayor Weintraub said after being notified of the event.
‘We’re trying to do everything we can to get our numbers down and keep our community safe, and something like this just does the opposite,’ she said to ABC News.
He does what he wants: ‘I personally am not the type of person who’s gonna sit around and not live my life,’ he added
‘We’re trying to do everything we can to get our numbers down and keep our community safe, and something like this just does the opposite,’ the mayor said of Paul’s party
Influencers everywhere! Paul’s friend Tana Mongeau shared this video of him standing on a machine in his backyard
Reckless: She added another video of a person swinging from a construction backhoe in the backyard
Locals near the Calabasas party reported seeing ‘tons of people walking on the street unmasked and then gathering.’
One of the videos posted on social media shows a crowd of people in what appears to be the living room of the home, where revelers were seen drinking as music played in the background. People were crowded close together on a staircase.
Another video shows hordes of people around a table filled with red solo cups of drinks. Yet another video shows people playing beer pong outside.
Footage uploaded by Paul’s friend Tana Mongeau on TikTok shows people dangling from a construction backhoe in the backyard as the crowd cheers.
Tana is yet another influencer who has been throwing and attending parties during the pandemic. And now, unconfirmed reports on social media — including a tweet from comedian Dennis Feitosa — allege that she may have tested positive for the virus, as have other partygoers.
Last week, LA-based comedian Elijah Daniel, 26, took to Twitter to claim that ‘a lot of influencers’ had ‘confirmed to him’ they’d contracted the virus after attending different events.
‘Warning: a lot of influencers have been confirmed to me testing positive for COVID-19 after the influencer parties, like a LOT,’ he tweeted on July 28. ‘And they aren’t saying anything & aren’t warning people they came in contact with after.’
Elijah added: ‘If you attended, get tested. yall caused an outbreak. thanks!’
Uh-oh: Tana is yet another influencer who has been throwing and attending parties during the pandemic. And now, unconfirmed reports online allege that she may have tested positive
Par-tay! Meanwhile, Paul has found other ways to flout pandemic restrictions, and in June shared photos from a concert he hosted
Paul pictured at the concert, where he and others are seen not wearing masks
As for those partying in Calabasas like Paul and his guests, Mayor Weintraub said that as of earlier this month, Calabasas adopted a fine of $100 for people caught not wearing a mask.
She said she’s working with the Lost Hills Sheriff’s station to ensure no more similar house parties take place.
Meanwhile, Paul has found other ways to flout pandemic restrictions, and in June shared photos from a concert he hosted.
Also that month, he allegedly took part in looting and riots and was charged with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly for entering the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall when it was closed.
The incident took place amid peaceful protests decrying police brutality and systemic racism.
He was identified to police through tips and videos sent in.
Paul denied looting and said he wanted to ‘share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighborhood we traveled through.’
His brother Logan Paul, another YouTube star, is also no stranger to controversy.
He came under fire in late December 2017 into early 2018 when he uploaded a vlog on his YouTube channel about a trip to Japan in which he visited a ‘suicide forest’ near Mount Fuji, a place where people were known take their own lives, and depicted a recently deceased corpse. The video was removed from YouTube and Paul issued a public apology.