Jake Paul has said KSI needs to ‘give back’ to make up for using a racial slur during a recent Sidemen video.
KSI, real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, issued an apology and said he would be taking a break from social media after he was hit with a massive backlash when the video was posted.
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The video containing the slur, which is used against people of South Asian descent, was shared last night (Sunday 2 April) on the Sidemen YouTube channel before being removed a short time later.
In response to the backlash, KSI said he would be stepping away from social media for an unspecified amount of time.
In a post on Twitter, he wrote: “I wanna apologise for saying a racial slur in a recent Sidemen video. There’s no excuse, no matter the circumstances, I shouldn’t have said it and I’m sorry.
“I’ve always said to my audience that they shouldn’t worship me or put me on a pedestal because I’m human. Im not perfect, I’m gonna mess up in life, and lately I’ve been messing up a lot.
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“So I’ve decided I’m gonna just take a break from social media for a while."
Now fellow YouTuber Paul has called out KSI, branding him a ‘fake guy’ and saying he needs to take it ‘more serious’ than simply coming off social media for a break.
He wrote: “Fake guy with fake apologies every other week. I hope you take this more serious than taking a break off social media so you can focus on training and then reappearing two weeks before your fight saying you’re a new man.
“Meet with British South Asian community leaders, get with the right charities and give back. I made my own mistakes in my early 20s but we are too old for this behaviour.
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“I look forward to knocking you the f**k out on behalf of all South Asians around the world. You 30 year old p***k.”
The official Sidemen account also shared a statement apologising, saying they were ‘truly ashamed’ of the video.
"During yesterday's 'Sidemen Sunday' a racial slur was said during the video,” the statement began.
"We accept that it was completely unacceptable and inexcusable. The fact the incident was made light of on the show was wrong and compounded the hurt.
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“We deeply regret this and would like to truly apologise.
“We have reflected on this incident both collectively and individually and are truly ashamed that we let ourselves and you guys down in this way.
"We want to use our channels to promote positivity and great entertainment. We stand against racism and discrimination of any kind and we failed to do that."
The statement concluded: "Again, we are truly sorry and promise to do better.”
Claire Reid