Jake Paul: YouTuber denies assaulting TikTok star Justine Paradise
- Published
YouTuber Jake Paul has denied sexually assaulting TikTok star Justine Paradise, after she accused him online.
Paradise shared a 20-minute video, external last week in which she alleged that Paul forced her to perform oral sex on him and touched her without her consent, at his home in Los Angeles in 2019.
"He didn't ask for consent or anything," said Paradise. "That's not okay. On no level at all is that okay."
In a statement posted on Twitter, Paul said the allegations were "100% false".
Paradise said she had waited for two years to speak out because she had signed a non-disclosure agreement, something which was allegedly required of all guests who entered Paul's home.
The pair met several times in June and July 2019, when Paradise would visit Paul's home - known as his Team 10 house - in California. Paradise says she was introduced to Paul via a mutual friend.
Paul, who is preparing for a boxing match versus UFC fighter Ben Askren on Saturday, said the allegations were designed to distract attention from the fight.
"Sexual assault accusations aren't something that I, or anyone should ever take lightly, but to be crystal clear, this claim made against me is 100% false," he wrote in a statement shared on Twitter.
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"Not only have I never had any sexual relationship with this individual, but this claim is solely a manufactured accusation and a blatant attempt for attention during a highly visible fight week."
He went on to note he was in a relationship at the time of the alleged incident and added he's a "momma's boy".
"I respect women and mothers more than anything," Paul added: "I most certainly have never laid a finger on a girl without their consent."
The online star, who has more than 20m YouTube subscribers, intendeds to sue Paradise for defamation for the "irreparable damages" to his reputation.
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Paul's representative Daniel E. Gardenswartz said in an additional statement provided to the BBC: "Our client is aware of the recent allegation against him.
"While others have already begun to debunk the claim alleged against him, our client categorically denies the allegation and has every intention of aggressively disproving it and pursuing legal action against those responsible for the defamation of his character."
He added: "Our client believes that any false allegations diminish the credibility of those who have truly been victims of misconduct."
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- Published13 April 2021
