Are Jake Paul And Tana Mongeau Engaged — Or Is It A Social Media Publicity Stunt?
It's hard to tell.
getty Back in Hollywood's golden age, a celebrity's image was carefully maintained by the studio they worked for. When they slipped up and kissed the wrong person or made a scene at a bar, the studio kept it quiet. Nowadays, without studios controlling their performers, tabloids thrive on unearthing everything they can about a celeb's private life. Unless of course, you're a YouTube star...
In order to keep all eyes on them and their various channels, YouTube stars are the opposite of the stars from the 1930s and 1940s. They NEED their scandals and private lives made available to the public in order to keep their careers afloat. That's why when two YouTube stars, Tana Mongeau and Jake Paul recently announced their engagement, people couldn't help but wonder if it was real love or all business. Are Tana Mongeau and Jake Paul engaged? Or, is it, as many suspect, a social media stunt?
1. The Bigs News
Turning 21 is a big deal, at least for folks in the United States. Since it's the legal drinking age, people turning 21 usually celebrate their birthday with a keg (or 12) of their favorite hooch and wake up the next morning with fuzzy teeth and only a hazy recollection of the night before. But if you're YouTuber Tana Mongeau, turning 21 looks a little bit different.
Tana came away from her birthday party a newly engaged woman! And who is the man who put a ring on it? Why, it's none other than her relatively new boyfriend and fellow YouTuber, Jake Paul! On June 24th just after it happened, Tana tweeted:“JAKE JUST PROPOSED!" And in case her all-caps wasn't clear enough she followed this up with "I'm.....engaged....!!"
2. The Proposal
While we should all be happy for the newly engaged couple, the entire affair stinks of a publicity stunt. Take, for example, the fact that Drai's Nightclub in Vegas (where Jake proposed) issued an actual press release about how the entire proposal went down. It doesn't exactly scream authenticity, does it? But when you make your living on YouTube, publicity is a natural way of life, too I suppose.
According to Drai's, the proposal was pretty dramatic. Jake brought Tana up onto the club's stage while different screens mounted around the massive space read "Tana, will you marry me?" Jake being Jake, he presented her with a candy ring, but Tana didn't flinch and said yes. Then, staff brought out a big cake topped with a fake ring and Tana was presented with her forever engagement ring.
3. Tana Confirms
Because their relationship is so new, people on the web, even their ride or die fans, seem a bit skeptical about just how real this engagement actually is. Luckily, in the world of a YouTube star, reaching out to your haters and telling them exactly what you think is par for the course, and Tana has been quick to engage with people who have posted questions about their union online.
You don't have to study Tana or Jake's profiles for very long to notice that fans have questions about just how sincere they are about their newly found committment to each other. “If this is a joke, I’m going to be pissed. If this isn’t a joke, I’m going to be pissed,” wrote a fan. Tana wasted no time clearing things up: “It’s not. I’m engaged. Holy f–k.” Wouldn't be my word choice, but okay!
4. Prank History
When Tana and Jake first announced that they were dating, it seemed like a match made in heaven. While that hasn't changed (sure, they are cute and kind of made for each other), it's actually how well-suited they are for each other that has people second guessing their true motivation when it comes to spreading the word about their hot hot love and even hotter engagement.
See, if they're faking this engagement it wouldn't be the first time that either one of the YouTubers has pulled an epic prank for cred or money or views. In fact, prior to dating Tana, Jake was in a longterm relationship with his ex, Erika Costell. At one point, he “proposed” to her only he took things to the limit, prank-wise and even faked a marriage! Suffice to say, the guy's got experience.
5. Fans React
You would think that when your favorite celebrities announce that they are marrying one another, people would be over the moon, and while they certainly have fans supporting their union, by and large, they've dealt with criticism and with the feedback from jaded critics. A few of their fans are convinced about the legitimacy of their love. One fan has even gone so far as to predict the timeline the prank will take: “I can’t wait for the next two months to be ‘ME AND MY HUSBAND ______’ until a drama channel comes out with ‘JANA WEDDING IS OFF?!?!’ and then, Tana doesn’t post for a month and then, she comes back with something totally unrelated [and] then, two videos later, she posts, ‘What Happened’ crying.’”
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime.