YouTuber Jake Paul has come under fire for throwing a day-long party at his Calabasas home on Saturday during COVID-19 pandemic. The 23-year-old has drawn the ire of Calabasas Mayor David J. Shapiro and his neighbours for calling his friends over and hosting a party while people are expected not to leave their homes due to the risk of contracting coronavirus at a time when the cases are rising. Photos and videos of the party show people gathered in large groups with face masks or ensuring social distancing. As it went viral, The YouTuber has received backlash from social media users demanding his questionable acts. Popular YouTube personality Tyler Oakley had also joined others in criticising Jake. DIY Social Distancing Bar Set up by Neighbours in Quarantine; Is The Idea Completely Right? (Watch Video)
Some of the people who attended the party include some prominent influencers including Tana Mongeau, Bryce Hall, and Arman Izadi. The pictures show them drinking, dancing and one even shows revellers swinging on a bulldozer playfully. Calabasas Mayor Alicia Weintraub told ABC News Thursday, "I was very upset that somebody would hold such an outrageous gathering in our community. We're trying to do everything we can to get our numbers down and keep our community safe, and something like this just does the opposite." One of the videos captured by a neighbour shows them swinging from the machine. Maintaining Social Distancing after Lockdown: How to Politely Tell People to Keep Their Distance from You in Public?
Party at YouTuber Jake Paul's House:
NEW: The mayor of Calabasas & neighbors tell me they’re outraged after they say YouTube celebrity @jakepaul threw a massive party at his mansion on Saturday. They call it irresponsible, selfish, & say it’s businesses & workers who pay the price for this w/ lockdowns. 10pm @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/COiVleuDH2
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 15, 2020
He was also quoted as saying, "They’re having this large party, no social distancing, no masks, it’s just a big huge disregard for everything that everybody is trying to do to get things back to functioning. It’s really just a party acting like COVID does not exist, it’s acting that businesses aren’t closed ... We all have to do our part."
Party at Jake Paul's Home Captured by Neighbour:
Another angle of Jake Paul’s party filmed by neighbor. pic.twitter.com/124H31tsj7
— Def Noodles (@defnoodles) July 15, 2020
Paul is known for causing controversies every now and then. In June, he was charged with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly for taking part in looting and riots during peaceful protests against police brutality. Although he denied looting, he wanted to "share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighbourhood we travelled through". Meanwhile, as of Thursday, there are 356,178 cases and 7,345 deaths from the virus in the state.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2020 03:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).