Who was Jake Paul on Bizaardvark? Influencer-turned-boxer opens up about his short-lived career on Disney Channel

Following his Disney Channel fame, Jake Paul became a controversial YouTube figure and professional boxer. He starred as Dirk Mann on Bizaardvark, a sitcom that aired from 2016 to 2019.

Though he did not stay on the show long, it marked a significant moment in his career. Paul has recently been looking back on his time with Disney and providing insight into being on the network and his decision to leave.

The series centered on two best friends played by Olivia Rodrigo and Madison Hu. Paul continued to be a major part of the cast during season one and the opening episodes of season two. In July 2017, Disney announced he was leaving, saying he and the network had agreed to part ways.

Jake Paul in a recent interview with People had a few nice things to say about his work in Bizaardvark. He referred to it as a “fun time,” and credited it as an important stepping stone in his career:

"I think it was a good kickstart to my career, because I was the first-ever influencer on TV." he added.

He also stated that his time with the show made him gain experience with acting and media work, which would kickstart his eventual career in content creation:

"I think that really set a lot of things into motion for me, and I learned a lot about acting and media and all that stuff,"

---

More on why Jake Paul left Bizaardvark and his Controversial rise to fame

Although Disney initially portrayed Jake Paul's departure as a mutual decision, he later acknowledged that he was fired. In a past interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he explained that a local news segment on KTLA had a huge part in his exit.

The show was centered on his neighbors’ complaints about his disruptive behavior at his rented home in Hollywood, where he often threw loud parties or performed dangerous stunts. Talking about the instance Paul said:

"I was like, 'Yeah, that’s fine. But it’s going to look like you guys fired me.' And they were like, 'We can say that we mutually parted ways and blah, blah, blah,' and that’s the reality of the story."

After leaving Disney, Paul focused on his YouTube career, gaining millions of subscribers, and often got in trouble for his controversial content. According to People, his fame was plagued by scintillating scandals, including cryptocurrency endorsement scams.

In 2020, Jake Paul made the jump to professional boxing, after fighting other influencers and ex-athletes in high-profile bouts. His boxing career has become his main source of income, with him recently winning a match against boxing legend, Mike Tyson.

Along with his in-ring activities, Paul also hosts the podcast, BS w/ Jake Paul, and has explored several business opportunities, including his men’s personal care brand, W, and Betr, a sports media and mobile betting company.