Jake Paul doesn't know if he's going to stop partying during the coronavirus pandemic.
Like other influencers who have failed to adhere to social distancing guidelines, the controversial YouTube star provoked outrage after hosting a July 14 party in his Calabasas mansion's backyard. Dozens of maskless influencers danced and posed for a music video that would later debut after Mayor Alicia Weintraub said she was "outraged" that the gathering took place.
In a July 31 phone interview with Insider, Paul said he chatted with Weintraub after the party and "everything is cool."
Weintraub told Insider that she'd only spoken to a representative for Paul since the party, and warned that the local sheriff's department would be breaking up future parties and possible financial penalties would be issued. But Paul couldn't clarify for Insider whether he would stop hosting or attending such events.
Cumulative COVID-19 cases are sharply on the rise in California, and Los Angeles County was placed on a state government watchlist for failing to meet state benchmarks, which could lead to additional closures.
"I don't know what to think of it, to be honest. I don't think anyone really does," Paul told Insider. "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."
Paul is currently preparing for a September 12 boxing match with former NBA guard Nate Robinson, which will be virtually broadcast on the TikTok competitor Triller for $50. It's the undercard match to the main event, featuring boxing legend Mike Tyson, who's making a comeback to fight Roy Jones Jr.
The match will not feature a live audience because of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, Paul told Insider. Previously, he's won fights against other YouTubers, including Deji Olatunji, the younger brother of Paul's rap rival KSI. Olatunji forfeited the match in round five. Paul also beat YouTuber AnEnsonGib.
In a recent tweet, Paul said he plans to "become one of the biggest prize fighters in the world" and show people the "real 'Jake Paul,'" as opposed to the Paul portrayed in the media.
"I'm a human being. I put my pants on the same way, I cry the same way, I have anxiety the same way, I fail the same way, I win the same way," Paul told Insider. "People don't like that, they scream out my failures and whisper my accomplishments."
- Read more:
- LA influencers won't stop partying, but few are revealing whether they've spread the coronavirus
- Mike Tyson's long-awaited comeback will cost a staggering $50 to watch, feature a fight between Jake Paul and an NBA star, and be streamed on a new TikTok rival
- Jake Paul's new music video features footage from a party condemned by the mayor of Calabasas, where mask-less influencers swung from heavy machinery
- Jake Paul was called out by the mayor of Calabasas for throwing a massive party where mask-less influencers swung from heavy machinery
