In an August 5 video, YouTube personality Stephen Findeisen, better known as “Coffeezilla,” addressed Prime co-founder Logan Paul’s recent defamation lawsuit. Findeisen alleges that the lawsuit is “groundless” and might be an attempt to silence further investigations into Paul’s activities.
He has accused Paul of orchestrating a major scam through his CryptoZoo NFT scheme. In a series of videos, Findeisen has sought to assist affected buyers in recovering their funds.
Despite Paul announcing a $2.3 million refund initiative, Findeisen criticized the plan as insufficient, covering only 12% of the losses. He claimed those accepting the refund would be required to forgo further legal action.
Is Logan Paul Trying to Silence Criticism with Legal Action? Coffeezilla’s Response Raises Questions
On June 27, 2024, Logan Paul filed a 47-page defamation lawsuit against Coffeezilla, claiming defamation over videos related to Paul’s non-fungible-token (NFT) project, CryptoZoo. The lawsuit accuses Coffeezilla of making false statements and alleging that Paul was operating a scam.
Paul’s lawsuit targets Coffeezilla’s coverage of CryptoZoo, specifically focusing on two videos and a tweet where Coffeezilla advocated for full refunds to the victims. The lawsuit disputes Coffeezilla’s characterization of Paul’s actions and accuses him of malicious intent.
Paul was also seeking $75,000 in damages. Just over a month later, Findeisen has countered with his response.
Coffeezilla also noted that Paul, who had previously praised his investigative work, might undermine his case. The YouTuber suggested that Paul’s past commendation of his journalism indicates a lack of actual malice, which is necessary to prove defamation.
He emphasized that Paul’s ongoing success with Prime suggests his reputation as a scammer was established before Findeisen’s videos.
In his response, Coffeezilla questioned the timing of Paul’s lawsuit, noting that it came shortly after he featured Paul in a video teaser and requested a comment.
He suggested that the lawsuit might be intended more to silence him than to win in court.
Coffeezilla concluded by expressing his belief that Paul’s actions aimed to stifle his reporting.
“Paul can attempt to silence me by weaponizing the law, suing me for doing my job, and for asking questions,” he said.
Lawsuit or Distraction from Multi-Layered Fraud Allegations?
CryptoZoo, a project launched by Logan Paul, has faced heavy criticism and legal issues due to allegations of fraud and mismanagement.
The Canadian government recently accused one of Paul’s associated companies, Liquid Marketplace, of being involved in a multi-layered fraud. This new investigation was reportedly the catalyst for the lawsuit against Coffeezilla.
Coffeezilla mentioned that the lawsuit emerged as he sought comments from Paul regarding his involvement in the Liquid Marketplace saga, which the Ontario Securities Commission accused of being a “multi-layered fraud” on June 24.
Paul had previously announced a $2.3 million buyback program on January 4, offering to repurchase CryptoZoo NFTs at their original price. Findeisen, however, criticized the buyback program, suggesting it had ulterior motives.
He argued that users who accepted the refund would have to waive their claims against Paul and noted that the buyback only addressed NFTs, leaving those who purchased Zoo tokens without compensation.
Coffeezilla described the lawsuit as “groundless, meritless, and frivolous,” asserting that for the lawsuit to be valid, Paul would need to demonstrate financial losses or reputational damage.
He pointed out that Paul had already faced accusations of pump-and-dump schemes before Findeisen investigated the CryptoZoo project.
