The controversy swirling around YouTuber Logan Paul shows no sign of easing up any time soon. On the face of it, the scandal looks to have torched Paul's career for good.
Paul, who once earned $800,000 (£584,424) a month by filming videos for his 15 million-plus subscribers, has been subject to severe criticism after he uploaded a video featuring footage of a dead body hanging from a tree in the 'suicide forest' of Aokigahara, Japan.
But now a celebrity expert has claimed that Paul could yet save his career, saying that Logan needs to 'stay dark' and put off making a comeback at least until the spring, if not until the second half of the year.
"The scandal will scorch him with advertisers, who opted out of his video library on YouTube and sponsorships faster than he could fly home from Tokyo," Eric Schiffer, Chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, told the free newspaper Metro.
Advert
"The most sensitive brands - who once wanted the 'young clicks' from his account - react within hours."
Oddly, the scandal actually looks to have done Paul's reputation a favour, as his YouTube channel's subscription count grew after the video was uploaded.
According to Schiffer, it's no surprise that people flocked to Paul's channels in the wake of the incident because, let's be honest, people just love seeing controversy unfurl.
"People like total train wrecks, especially in viral videos," Schiffer told the newspaper. "The international press exposed his body of work to a wider 'Logan Paul-ready' audience who would have gravitated towards him anyway."
Advert
Last week Logan took to Twitter to say he was temporarily stepping back from making fresh videos, saying he was 'taking time to reflect' following the incident.
However, he's continued to upload other videos he filmed in Japan prior to the incident. Although these new videos haven't been entirely spotless themselves, Schiffer believes laying low is the best move that Paul could make.
"He needs to chill, stay dark for a while - at least three-six months - and let things blow over," Schiffer added. "Spend his time and money with suicide prevention and mental health organizations away from the cameras."
Advert
Schiffer suggested that Paul could stage his comeback by doing a live interview with 'a really big name', showing his sincere regret and how he will use what he learned from the episode to help people.
The expert added that people won't forget the scandal - obviously - but if Paul is savvy he can re-enter public life before the year is out. Whether that's the right thing for him to do is another question entirely.
One big problem in this redemption plan is Paul's disintegrating relationship with YouTube, which has already cut business ties with Paul and may even be considering shutting his channel down.
A statement from the website on Twitter read: "We expect more of the creators who build their community on @YouTube, as we're sure you do too.
Advert
"The channel violated our community guidelines, we acted accordingly, and we are looking at further consequences."
French digital media network Blackpills has also decided to scrap a series with Paul that was in the pipeline with Cupertino Productions.
In a statement, the production company told Variety: "Logan Paul's previously announced project with Blackpills is no longer in development, and Blackpills will not be pursuing it at any time in the future."
This means that if Logan is wondering how he can rebuild his career, he might need to think about doing it elsewhere.
Topics: TV and Film, Logan Paul, Celebrity, Mental Health, YouTube
