Where Is Jake Paul Now? Inside the YouTuber's Surprising Pivot to Become a Professional Boxer
- - Where Is Jake Paul Now? Inside the YouTuber's Surprising Pivot to Become a Professional Boxer
Yasmeen Hamadeh, Samantha StutsmanDecember 19, 2025 at 11:25 PM
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Michael Kovac/Getty ; Cindy Ord/Getty
Jake Paul in 2016; Jake Paul in 2025. -
Jake Paul launched his YouTube channel in 2014, reaching viral fame
He became a professional boxer in 2020, defeating Mike Tyson four years later
Paul and Olympic speed skater Jutta Leerdam got engaged in March 2025
Jake Paul’s path to the boxing ring began online.
The Ohio native first rose to fame on the now-defunct Vine app before pivoting to YouTube in 2014, where his over-the-top stunts, music and daily-life vlogs drew millions of followers. He later dipped into acting, starring on Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark alongside Olivia Rodrigo before departing the series in 2017.
Years after his YouTube fame began, Paul made a sharp turn into the world of professional boxing, making his debut in 2018 in a white-collar match. In 2020, Paul officially went pro, ultimately fighting and winning against legendary heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in November 2024. Paul faces former two-time unified heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua on Dec. 19.
Paul's career has also been marred by controversy. In 2017, his Team 10 influencer house members were accused of bullying and disturbing the California neighborhood in which they lived. Four years later in 2021, Paul was accused of sexual assault by two women, per Business Insider. (Paul has denied all allegations.) In 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accused Paul of promoting cryptocurrencies without disclosing that he was sponsored to do so, according to Deadline. He has since settled the charges.
Paul is now engaged to Dutch speed skater and Olympic silver medalist Jutta Leerdam. The couple announced the news in March 2025.
But how exactly did Paul transition his brand from controversial YouTube prankster to professional boxer? Here’s everything to know about Jake Paul and where he is today.
How did Jake Paul start his social media career?
Craig Sjodin/Disney Channel via Getty
Jake Paul stars as Dirk in Disney Channel's 'Bizaardvark'.
Paul began his social media career in 2013 when he started posting videos on the now-discontinued app Vine. By the time Vine shut down, Paul had amassed 5.3 million followers and 2 billion views on the app.
The influencer then launched his YouTube channel in 2014, where he became widely known for his prank videos, dares and music. On YouTube, Paul’s career also notably included the formation of Team 10, an influencer collective he launched in 2016.
While new members joined and others left over the years, Team 10 eventually disbanded by 2020. The group was also enmeshed in controversy over the years, including allegations of bullying and disrupting the neighborhood in which their house was located. At the time, Team 10 publicly refuted the claims there was a culture problem, and in 2017, Paul apologized following accusations that he bullied two fellow YouTubers.
Complaints about Paul’s household antics also extended to the mayor of Calabasas, Calif., Alicia Weintraub, who publicly denounced Team 10's actions in 2020 after Paul threw a party full of unmasked attendees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of 2025, Paul continues to post on his YouTube channel; however, his content has pivoted to focus on his boxing career. He also hosts his own podcast, BS w/ Jake Paul, which has a separate channel for its video format.
Why did Jake Paul leave Disney?
Disney Channel via Getty
Jake Paul attends the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 29.
Between 2016 and 2017, Paul had a brief acting stint on the Disney Channel.
He starred alongside Rodrigo and Madison Hu on the network’s sitcom Bizaardvark, on which he played an online celebrity, Dirk Mann. Paul regularly appeared across the show’s first season, but in July 2017, Disney announced that he would be leaving the show halfway into filming its second season.
Although it seemed that Paul left the show on his own accord and that it was a mutual decision, the news of his departure arrived after a KTLA segment reported complaints from his neighbors on his behavior and the overall disturbance from his then-house.
A month after Disney and Paul announced his departure from Bizaardvark, the content creator confirmed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he was actually fired from the show because of the KTLA report.
“They were like, ‘OK. We want to expedite this process of weaning you off the show,’ ” he said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s fine. But it’s going to look like you guys fired me.’ And they were like, ‘We can say that we mutually parted ways and blah, blah, blah.’ And that’s the reality of the story.”
Aside from his Disney firing, Paul’s career has been enmeshed in controversy over the years. The influencer faced two sexual assault allegations in 2021, including an accusation from content creator Justine Paradise, per Business Insider. Paul has denied the allegations, and neither case went to court.
In 2023, the SEC charged him with violating investor protection laws by promoting cryptocurrencies without disclosing that he was sponsored to do so. Paul settled the charges for over $400,000.
How did Jake Paul start boxing?
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Jake Paul reacts after knocking out Andre August in the first round during the Jake Paul v Andre August at the Caribe Royale Orlando on December 15 2023 in Orlando, Florida.
While Paul’s pivot into boxing may have initially come as a surprise for many, the content creator has always had an affinity for sports.
In high school, Paul was a multisport athlete participating in wrestling, football and basketball. After he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment, the YouTuber told Rolling Stone in April 2021 that he consequently “sort of left sports behind,” which pulled him toward boxing even more.
“I’ve always played sports and been competitive my whole entire life — I’m super competitive,” Paul told Rolling Stone. “When I got the opportunity to box when I was 21, it brought back the old Jake Paul. It brought back the competitive, athletic Jake Paul. I just fell in love with it. When I won my first boxing match, it was one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
Paul made his boxing debut in 2018 in a white-collar match against fellow YouTuber Deji Olatunji. Their bout was a co-feature to Paul’s older brother Logan Paul’s fight, against Olatunji’s older brother, YouTuber KSI. Paul ended up winning the match via technical knockout in the fifth round.
In 2020, Paul made his professional boxing debut against YouTuber AnEsonGib, which he also won via technical knockout in the first round. He’s continued to participate in bouts against professional boxers over the years, including Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Mike Perry. In November 2024, Paul fought — and won against — Tyson.
As of December 2025, Paul’s boxing record stands at 12-1, having participated in 13 fights with 12 wins and seven knockouts. He uses “The Problem Child” as his boxing alias.
Who is Jake Paul's fiancée?
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Jake Paul and Jutta Leerdam in March 2025.
Paul is engaged to Leerdam. Paul made their relationship official on Instagram in April 2023, and the couple announced their engagement in March 2025.
"We can’t wait to spend forever together," Paul wrote on Instagram alongside photos from the proposal.
Ahead of Paul's fight against Tyson in November 2024, Leerdam shared her concerns during an episode of BS w/ Jake Paul. “I think you’re gonna win, but he is the competitor that is the most scary to me,” she said. “He’s super strong ... Of course, he’s a little bit older now, but if you’ve ever been able to do that, your body remembers that. He has that power forever."
Where is Jake Paul now?
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Jake Paul celebrates after scoring a tko in the first round against Ryan Bourland during their cruiserweight fight at Coliseo de Puerto Rico on March 02, 2024 in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico.
While Paul is still a content creator, his career has also delved into entrepreneurial pursuits alongside boxing, YouTube and podcasting.
In 2021, he founded the boxing brand agency Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) with his business adviser Nakisa Bidarian. The YouTuber also founded a sports media and mobile-betting company, Betr, in 2022 alongside Simplebet founder Joey Levy. Two years later, Paul also launched his own men’s personal care brand, W, with products ranging from deodorant to haircare — Walmart serves as the brand’s retail partner. The brand was incubated by the YouTuber's venture capital firm, Anti Fund.
As for boxing, Paul has his eyes set on a career beyond simply winning his fight against Tyson. “The goal is to become world champion and win one of the four major belts, and that’ll happen in less than 24 months,” Paul told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in October 2024.
“After becoming boxing world champion, I’m going to become MMA world champion, and then after that, I’m going to go to the NFL,” he added. “You know, I think there’s a lot of mediocrity in the NFL, a lot of dropped passes. These guys don’t have ends, even though that’s what they get paid to do, and a lot of them are just boring. So I’m gonna bring in marketing and business and catch balls."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
