Logan Paul Launches Legal Battle Against Coffeezilla, Claiming Defamation in CryptoZoo Exposé
Controversial YouTube influencer and WWE performer Logan Paul has officially filed a defamation lawsuit against YouTuber Stephen Findeisen, known as Coffeezilla, following his exposé series on Paul’s failed blockchain game project, CryptoZoo. The lawsuit, filed on June 27, 2024 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, seeks over $75,000 in damages, alleging that Coffeezilla knowingly spread false information to increase his viewership.
CryptoZoo was launched with great fanfare in August 2021, promoted by Paul as a play-to-earn game where players could purchase Egg Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) that would hatch into animals. These animals could then be bred to create unique hybrids, earning players in-game cryptocurrency called ZOO Tokens. However, the project quickly ran into trouble, with numerous technical issues and accusations of mismanagement.
Paul’s complaint paints a picture of a project derailed by advisors who misled him. He accuses Eduardo “Eddie” Ibanez and Jake Greenbaum (known as Crypto King) of sabotaging CryptoZoo by selling off large amounts of ZOO Tokens for personal profit, undermining the project’s integrity and financial stability. Paul asserts that he was deeply committed to CryptoZoo’s success, investing significant personal funds into its development, only to be deceived by his advisors.
Coffeezilla, a self-styled investigative journalist, released a three-part series starting in December 2022 titled “Investigating Logan Paul’s Biggest Scam.” The series, which amassed millions of views, alleged that Paul had knowingly orchestrated a scam to defraud investors. Coffeezilla claimed that Paul and his team had failed to pay developers, leading to the project’s collapse and leaving investors with worthless NFTs.
In his videos, Coffeezilla argued that Paul had profited from the sale of ZOO Tokens and NFTs, despite the project’s failure. He portrayed Paul as the central figure in a scheme designed to exploit his fans. Coffeezilla’s videos included selectively edited excerpts from internal communications within the CryptoZoo team, which Paul claims were taken out of context to create a misleading narrative.
In response to Coffeezilla’s allegations, Paul launched a refund program for CryptoZoo investors in January 2024, pledging over $2.3 million of his own money to buy back the NFTs at their original purchase price. However, the refund program required participants to waive any legal claims against Paul, a condition that raised questions among legal experts about its implications for ongoing and future litigation.
Paul’s lawsuit against Coffeezilla asserts that the YouTuber’s accusations were not only false but maliciously intended to damage his reputation for personal gain. “Findeisen perpetuated this false narrative, despite knowing it to be completely and utterly false, in order to enhance his own profile and increase his viewership and income in the process,” the complaint states.
Paul also recently highlighted his efforts to rectify the situation with CryptoZoo, including the buyback program and ongoing legal actions against Ibanez and Greenbaum. “This buy-back is a way for me to make whole those who intended to play CryptoZoo. The buy-back is not intended to compensate those who gambled on the crypto market and lost,” Paul stated earlier this year.
As of now, Coffeezilla has not publicly responded to the lawsuit or sought defense funding. His silence has sparked discussions on social media, with some users suggesting a GoFundMe campaign for his legal defense.
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