YouTube star Logan Paul has admitted that photos that appeared to show him cozying up to his brother’s ex-wife, Tana Mongeau, during a lunch date on Sunday, were just a prank.
The photos, which emerged on social media on Tuesday, sparked a frenzy of online rumor-mongering and speculation that Logan Paul, 24, was dating Tana Mongeau after she split from ex-husband Jake Paul, 23, who is Logan’s younger brother.
Mongeau and Jake Paul tied the knot in Las Vegas in July 2019. They split after only six months together.
The photos showed Logan and Tana engaging in PDA at a restaurant and later on the street.
Fans were shocked when they saw the photos on social media.
Multiple websites reported the incident and said that the paparazzi photos suggested that they were dating. Many took the photos at face value and believed they proved that Logan and Tana were dating.
Paparazzi caught @tanamongeau and @LoganPaul on a lunch date haha gotta love Snapchat news omg??
— baby j (@itsjustjudes) February 18, 2020
https://twitter.com/danashkadessein/status/1229754608676954117
tana mongeau is now dating logan paul,,, pic.twitter.com/Dhy27GaAQx
— baby satan (@savingtyler) February 18, 2020
Others noted that Logan and Tana had always been close friends and that there was no reason to believe from the photos that they were romantically involved.
Can boys and girl/men and women Not have a platonic relation ship anymore? @tanamongeau @LoganPaul pic.twitter.com/C4IOizFXUb
— darcy evans (@darcyev17) February 18, 2020
people gotta stop assuming shit@LoganPaul @tanamongeau cant have a nice lunch? theyre close friends, care about each other.
Logan is/could b going thru a rough time (health wise- w the fcked up nose + sickness), and tana is/could b going thru a tough time
chill yall
— Roger craig (@rogercrai) February 18, 2020
Remember there’s such a thing as PLATONIC AFFECTION. @tanamongeau and @LoganPaul are close friends.
— cait (@boujeebiebs) February 17, 2020
But some suggested they were trolling fans to gain more social media clout.
We all know that this is for clout and drama? @jakepaul @LoganPaul @tanamongeau
— Branson Mategaonkar (@branxonm) February 18, 2020
Fake relationship
— isaax (@isaax26251116) February 18, 2020
A few fans said they approved of the relationship because they thought that Logan and Tana were better suited for each other.
I’ve always thought that @tanamongeau and @LoganPaul we’re better suited! I’m all for this ????
— millyyyy_ (@diddlesbymka) February 18, 2020
Logan Paul says date with Tana Mongeau was just a prank
According to Logan Paul in a video, titled Dating My Brother’s Ex-Wife, uploaded on YouTube on Wednesday, February 19, the entire incident was meant to prank their fans and the media.
Paul said that he and Tana planned and staged the lunch date to create a fake scandal.
In the video, Logan is shown suggesting that he and Tana go out and let paparazzi capture them holding hands and engaging in light PDA. They admitted in the video that the prank date would be awkward for both of them.
“You and I should get in a fake relationship in front of the paparazzi and troll the entire internet.”
Logan also intended to prank his younger brother Jake but he expressed concern that Jake might take the video seriously and get upset by it.
In a text message that Jake wrote to Logan after he saw the photo, he appeared to understand that Logan and Tana staged the lunch date only to create online content, but he appeared upset about it.
“I know the look and it’s the look deep down in your eyes that the old Logan had and it’s like ‘I will do f—ing anything for content regardless of who or what it affects.'”
But when Logan later tried to apologize to Jake for the prank, Jake told him he had only been pretending to be upset.
“I’m just pranking you right now, too. I don’t care,” Jake said.