Logan Paul has returned to YouTube with his first video since being publicly reprimanded for basically being an insensitive A-Hole earlier this year.
In late December, the viral sensation shared lengthy footage of his trip to Japan, specifically honing in on the dead body of a man found hanging from a tree in the woods.
Paul and his friends cracked wise about their finding and made fun of the dead.
He proceeded to apologize on multiple occasions for the footage, but never sounded especially sincere in doing so.
Will this latest effort help Paul make amends?
Titled “Suicide: Be Here Tomorrow,” the new seven-minute clip depicts the 22-year old Internet personality talking with suicide survivor Kevin Hines, Alo House Recovery Centers founder Bob Forrest and National Suicide Prevention Hotline director Dr. John Draper.
He says his goal is to educate himself on the topic and to better understand why about 800,000 people take their own lives each year.
“I know I’ve made mistakes. I know I’ve let people down. But what happens when you’re given an opportunity to help make a difference in the world?” Paul says in the video, adding:
“It’s time to learn from the past as I get better and grow as a human being.
"I’m here to have a hard conversation as those who are suffering can have easier ones."
Will critics buy this?
Or will they just view it as a cynical attempt to win back fans?
Paul has 16 million YouTube followers. He makes millions per year off his videos.
In the following footage, he runs down five steps to assist someone who is considering suicide. They are:
- Ask.
- Listen.
- Support.
- Help them connect.
- Check in on them.
He also pledges to donate $ 1 million to “various suicide prevention organizations, with the first $ 250,000 going straight to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
It"s a start, right?
Paul says he never meant to create a stir with his controversial video, but that he doesn"t know anyone personally who has committed suicide.
"That was part of the problem was just my ignorance on the subject,” he explains below. “While I’m not able to solve the problem by myself, I want to be part of the solution.
Back on December 31, Paul uploaded footage that feature the corpse of a man who appeared to have hanged himself from a tree in Aokigahara, which is commonly referred to as Japan’s “suicide forest."
About 10 days later, YouTube removed him from its Google Premium advertising service.
So… is this video a sincere mea culpa on Paul"s part?
Or just a way for him to get into YouTube"s good graces and maximize his earnings once again?
Watch and decide for yourself:
