A star on social media platform TikTok said YouTube star and boxer Jake Paul forced her into an unauthorized sexual act in the summer of 2019.
Justine Paradise said in a 20-minute video on YouTube last Friday that she had not previously said anything about the alleged attack because she signed a nondisclosure agreement and thought the contract had been broken.
In a statement to ESPN, attorney Daniel E. Gardenswartz, who works for Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith LLP law firm, said Paul “categorically denies the charge” and “will take legal action against those responsible for the defamation of character.”
In the lengthy video, Paradise said she met Paul several times in June and July 2019 at the Team 10 House, a Los Angeles mansion where several social media stars lived and worked. Paradise said that on July 20, 2019, she felt she had made it clear to Paul that she didn’t want to go beyond just kissing, but Paul forced her to have oral sex.
“He didn’t ask for permission or anything,” Paradise said in the video. “He knew I didn’t want to do anything with him.”
Paradise made no mention of having to take the information to the police.
Paul responded on Twitter on Tuesday, saying, “This allegation against me is 100% false” and that he “has never had a sexual relationship with this person.”
“Allegations of sexual assault are not something I, or anyone else, should ever take lightly, but just to be clear, this allegation against me is 100% false,” Paul said as part of his post“… I’ll fight this to the end to prove my innocence.”
Paul, 24, has been gaining fame in the boxing world since knocking out former NBA player Nate Robinson in November last year. Paul will face former UFC fighter Ben Askren in a boxing match in Atlanta on Saturday, and has called up UFC stars Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz for future boxing matches.