Famed YouTuber Jake Paul Stays at TV News Star’s River Oaks Home, Pulls Off Harvey Rescue Missions

The haters might complain that it’s a publicity stunt. But talking to PaperCity early this morning Jake Paul, Vine star turned YouTube celeb and teen heartthrob, sounded sincere enough — an insanely popular 20-year-old and three pals trekking half way across the country in an off-road pickup to help save lives.

On Wednesday, the “squad” from Los Angeles rescued eight Houston families from high water danger. Thursday morning, Team Jake Paul headed back out, Sea-Doos in tow, to continue rescuing flood victims.

“I kept on seeing YouTubes and YouTubes and YouTubes of people needing more and more help,” Paul says. “I thought, I need to get out there if I can help and I kept hearing them saying they needed all the help they can get.

“All the big stars and athletes donating their own money was super helpful. But I wanted to go and actively get involved as an influencer, to share my point of view. I wanted to get on the ground floor for my audience and let them know how they can get involved . . . engage my community with the disaster.”

With close to 10 million subscribers, most on the young side of Generation Z, Jake Paul certainly has a platform beyond the reach of CNN and FOX. “It is so surreal and the news can’t even portray how bad it really is. It’s so hard to capture that,” Paul tells PaperCity. (For those far removed from Gen Z, Paul has the same impact on teens as the Beatles did in 1960s or Elvis in the ’50s.)

The team’s 22-hour drive from home base included a brief stopover in San Antonio where Paul held a raucous supply meet up with fans who helped fill two 20-foot U-Haul trucks with donations.

At Dominique Sachse’s House

During their Houston operation, Paul and his buddies are bunking with KPRC Channel 2 news anchor Dominique Sachse and husband Nick Florescu. It was 15-year-old Nicky Florescu who offered the spare bedrooms for the team.

In advance of their arrival, Nicky asked them about any special needs. They requested Pop Tarts, Pizza Rolls and Eggo Waffles. The first night in town, the Sachse/Florescu family served the guys pizzas.

Nicky’s take on the infamous Vlogger: “He was awesome. He’s a normal person. He’s really a nice person. He is taking all of this to heart.”

Paul’s view of the Hurricane Harvey disaster?

“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. It’s truly devastating . . . I’m trying to show really how Houston needs help whether it’s money or supplies,” Paul says. “There’s lots of work to be done for many years to come and I’m still trying to be as positive as I can this morning.”

And then he was off to aid in rescuing families in the northwest Houston area.