Jake Paul exposes his past as a bully during anti-bullying campaign

YouTube star-turned-pro boxer Jake Paul is currently kicking off his very own anti-bullying charity, ‘Boxing Bullies’ — a project he decided to start after reflecting on his own history as a schoolyard bully.

Jake Paul is the self-proclaimed ‘Problem Child’ of the internet. Using the nickname as his boxing moniker, Paul has a penchant for getting into over-the-top hijinks and pranks… and, apparently, also a past of bullying.

Paul notably claimed that his path to stardom was one fraught with negativity and naysaying from critics — a statement that was refuted by his childhood neighbor, who claimed that the YouTuber was actually a bully growing up.

Months after the fact, Paul confirmed these claims in a video promoting the debut event of his brand-new charity ‘Boxing Bullies,’ which aims to help kids combat bullying by giving them personal strength in the world of combat sports.

According to Paul, after becoming aware of his bullying ways, he resolved to put an end to bullying by using his resources and starting his own charity on the subject.

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“Growing up, I was a bully. I was insulting people,” he revealed. “I was name-calling, demeaning them, and it was because I was insecure and I wasn’t proud of who I was. I thought it was funny. I thought it was funny to make fun of other people.”

“Then I realized, as I got older, that that’s not cool,” he continued. “The words you say to other people can have an everlasting effect on them. Because, when I started to get famous, chase my dreams, and put videos out there online, I was getting so much hate for it. The words affected me.”

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“I was like, ‘Man, I can’t believe I used to target people and name-call other people,’ because I’m sure that’s affected them now for the rest of their lives.”

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Paul’s latest endeavor has been met with acclaim and criticism in equal measure as the influencer gears up for his August 29 bout against MMA star Tyron Woodley, marking his fourth professional fight of his boxing career.