Jake Paul speaks up about short-lived career at Disney channel

Jake Paul had fun while it lasted.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the 28-year-old boxer and content creator reflected on how starring in Bizaardvark is a good memory.

"Man, it was just a fun time to be honest," Paul shared, reminiscing about his time on the show alongside Olivia Rodrigo before his departure in 2017. 

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

According to Paul, that early exposure gave him a solid foundation. 

"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," he explained.

Before stepping into the ring as a professional boxer and starring in his current reality series, Paul American, Jake played Dirk Mann, an internet-famous daredevil, on Bizaardvark from 2016 to 2017. 

The series followed two best friends navigating the world of online fame.

Paul's exit from the show made headlines in July 2017, when Disney announced that he would be leaving midway through its second season. A month later, he told The Hollywood Reporter that his departure was not exactly mutual.

“They were like, ‘Okay. We want to expedite this process of weaning you off the show,’ ” Paul recalled, referring to The Walt Disney Company’s decision. 

“And 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.”

At the time, a KTLA news segment had reported on complaints from his neighbors about disruptions caused by his home, which he believes played a role in Disney’s decision. 

But despite how things ended, Paul has no hard feelings—just gratitude for the experience that helped launch his career.