Popular YouTuber Paul Harrell said goodbye to his subscribers in one final video, in which called out known detractor Caleb Giddings as a denigrator.
Harrell has been on YouTube for over 12 years, posting various vlogs, tip videos, and tutorials, all centered on firearms and survivalist tactics. He amassed over 1.1 million subscribers in his time on the platform.
The online personality rose in prominence in recent months, though, as his health declined significantly following a cancer diagnosis in July 2023. Harrell slowed his content output because of this, before passing away at the age of 58 on September 3, 2024.
[ What Happened to Paul Harrell? Health Decline & Cancer Diagnosis Explained ]
Why Did Paul Harrell Call Out Caleb in His Final Video?
Posted in the wake of his death, YouTuber Paul Harrell shared a final video for fans in which he addressed how he wants his content and legacy to live on.
In the goodbye message, which was recorded pre-emptively in December 2023, Harrell talked about what might happen to the channel next, how people can support his family, and even brought back up the years-old drama with fellow online creator Caleb Giddings.
Harrell said that people like Giddings may take his death as an opportunity to "denigrate [his] character," and that fans should "not just believe whatever nonsense people tell [them]:"
"If you have been around a while, you know that there have been people wo have taken it upon themselves to lie about me and denigrate my character, that Caleb guy being the biggest off it, but there has been others. And I have had to make some rebuttal videos and so forth. So, I am not going to be around to do that, and I am sure that people will take this opportunity to denigrate my character, so I would hop by now that you know me well enough to know what you should or should not believe. Do not just believe whatever nonsense people tell you."
Harrell and Giddings go way back, with the pair having gotten into several public online feuds dating to March 2020.
Giddings is a fellow firearms-focused online creator, best known as a former professional shooter and founder of the popular gun owner resource, Gun Nuts Media.
In 2020, Caleb called Harrell uninformed in his firearms demos and put his character into question, accusing the YouTuber of spreading hate speech as well as being misogynistic and homophobic.
This prompted a lengthy response from Harrell, in which he pointed out that Giddings had missed the point of his content and defamed the online personality by spreading lies and misinformation.
This issue was never resolved between the two, as Giddings posted another video after Harrell's response, doubling down on his prior stance and brushing the creator off.
Both of Giddings' videos related to Harrell have since been deleted from YouTube, and only Harrell's response remains online.
Giddings continues to post on social media but has significantly reduced his YouTube output in recent years, mainly using platforms like Instagram and the Gun Nuts Media blog.
The Gun Nuts Media owner has yet to comment on Harrell's passing.
Paul Harrell's YouTube channel remains online and will, according to the late online creator, live on even after his death. The Direct sends its condolences to Paul Harrell's family and loved ones during this time.
