David Dobrik faces backlash amid Vlog Squad misconduct and assault allegations

By: Adam Beam 3/26/21

Photo Courtesy: Entertainment Tonight

At one time he was the most popular creator on YouTube, now David Dobrik finds himself on the list of influencers in hot water.

The 24-year-old blogger is facing massive public outcry following allegations of misconduct behind the scenes of his titular vlogs. The allegations began back in February when former Vlog Squad member Josef Francois accused the group of sexual assault when he unsuspectedly had to kiss fellow member Jason Nash.

Former member Nick Keswani spoke of his time on the channel, often being the butt of everyone’s joke whenever he appeared in one of Dobrik’s videos. The most severe of the allegations being against one Vlog Squad member Dominykas Zeglaitis also known as Durte Dom, who is being accused of raping a young woman during the filming of one of Dobrik’s vlogs back in 2018.

With these allegations coming out, many whom formerly worked with Dobrik are now cutting their ties, and companies are pulling their endorsements. A spokesperson for HelloFresh told reporters that, “We are no longer working with David Dobrik or any member of the Vlog Squad and do not have any plans to work with them again in the future.” Other companies include EA, DoorDash, Dollar Shave Club, and SeatGeek.

Dobrik is the co-founder of Dispo, a photo sharing app, that he has now announced that he will be stepping down, “to not distract from the company’s growth.” However, companies like Spark Capital have already cut their ties with the app.

On Tuesday, Dobrik addressed the allegations in a nearly eight minute long video where he condemned the actions of Dom, and apologized to those who have been hurt by his past actions. With this news being relatively recent, and Dobrik being on the Youtube landscape for years, it’s possible that more allegations could come forward as an investigation is currently underway.