Logan Paul sued by astronaut for “deceptive” Flat Earth mockumentary
Logan Paul, Stellar Pictures Productions - YouTubeControversial YouTuber Logan Paul duped the internet after releasing his Flat Earth mockumentary in late March – but some viewers weren’t happy about being tricked.
Noted Flat Earther, daredevil, and self-taught “astronaut” Mike ‘Mad Mike’ Hughes is taking legal action against Paul due to the documentary, after appearing in the film for an interview.
“…He used my image and I never signed a release,” Hughes said of the film. “I was never told what this thing was for. In fact, when he interviewed me, I didn’t know who the guy was. …After this movie comes out, you find out he staged half of it.”
Mike ‘Mad Mike’ Hughes is a noted Flat Earth conspiracy theorist and stuntman, who infamously built his own rocket in a bid to prove the Earth was flat in 2017.Hughes is suing both Paul and his buddy, Mike ‘Hey Big Mike’ Majlak, for half a million dollars, claiming that their mockumentary was “fraudulent” and “deceptive.”
Provoking the Flat Earthers’ fury
Hughes isn’t the only Flat Earther upset with Paul’s stunt, either; Flat Earth International Conference organizer Robbie Davidson likewise spoke out against the YouTuber on ABC’s Nightline, claiming that he had been “punked” into letting Paul film the event for his project.
the flat earthers have spoken :gasp:
we’re gonna do a “tell all” video soon. y’all got any questions about the documentary you want answered? pic.twitter.com/r77B6AnNtg— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) March 23, 2019
“Another thing that he outright lied about was the fact that he was going to be doing a documentary,” Davidson said of the film. “…quite honestly, I was punked. I was duped.”
That’s not all; Davidson likewise accused Paul of breaking the law, after featuring a 14-year-old girl in the video without her parents’ consent.
Looks like @LoganPaul is surprised! Why? He put a 14 year old girl in his movie without her parents consent. Oooops. Parents lawsuits aren’t pretty! https://t.co/4Nqg0nWTaV
— Robbie Davidson (@MrRobbieD) March 26, 2019
Despite this claim, many critics noted that Colorado (the state in which the Conference took place) is a single-party consent state in terms of filming and phone calls, rendering Davidson’s allegations null.
The truth behind Logan Paul’s ‘documentary’
The true nature Paul’s documentary came as a surprise, after the YouTuber appeared to tease that it would be a legitimate look into the Flat Earth community – and even hinted that he might have been a Flat Earther, himself.
Paul even claimed that the mockumentary was made as a “fuck you” to his haters, following his multiple controversies after filming the body of a suicide victim in Japan’s Aokigahara ‘Suicide Forest’ in early 2018.
Now, the YouTuber is being met with a $500,000 lawsuit, which he has yet to address in a public statement via his social media accounts.