Logan Paul: YouTube star condemned by celebrities over 'dead body' video in Japanese 'suicide forest'

*Warning* This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing

Stars of the entertainment world have condemned a famous YouTuber after he appeared to post a video of a dead body on his channel.

Logan Paul, who has more than 15m subscribers on YouTube, was shown with friends at the Aokigahara forest at the base of Mt Fuji. The area is infamous for being a frequent site of suicides.

As they walk into film the "haunted" forest, the group apparently come across a dead body. While at times they appear shocked, they are also seen smirking and making jokes.

The video was uploaded on 31 December and had millions of views and over half a million "likes" before it was removed.

Paul has since posted an apology on Twitter claiming he was "misguided by shock and awe" and that he "didn't do it for views", instead supposedly hoping to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention.

However fellow celebrities and his fans have condemned his actions and are calling for him to be banned from YouTube.

American actor Aaron Paul (no relation), who starred as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, led the criticism and tweeted at Paul, calling him "pure trash".

"How dare you! You disgust me. I can't believe that so many young people look up to you," he wrote. "So sad. Hopefully this latest video woke them up. You are pure trash. Plain and simple. Suicide is not a joke. Go rot in hell."

Writer Lauren Duca called Paul's actions "amoral" and posted a number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

They were joined by other high profile figures from YouTube such as Philip DeFranco, who pointed out the disturbingly high number of "likes" the video received before it was taken down.

Aoikigahara has a troubled reputation both in Japan and around the world as a destination for young people who want to take their own lives. Japan has one of the highest rates of suicide in the developed world, according to the BBC.

The figure of deaths that occur in the area is not made public - instead signs are posted in the forest which urge people to seek medical help if they are struggling with mental health issues.

The identity of the deceased person is currently unknown.

The Independent has contacted Logan Paul for further comment.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress you can call Samaritans on their 24-hour helpline on 116 123 in the UK or visit the website at www.samaritans.org