After weeks of controversy over allegations of sexual assault against David Dobrik and his Vlog Squad, Dobrik issued a brief statement on YouTube, claiming that “consent is super, super important” to him and acknowledging that he removed videos from his channel that he no longer “agree with”. In February, Dobrik and current Vlog Squad member Jason Nash were accused of sexual assault by former Vlog Squad member Seth François, for two videos in which Nash stays with François without his consent.
Most recently, an anonymous accuser told Business Insider that member of the Vlog Squad Durte Dom, real name Dominykas Zeglaitis, sexually assaulted her in 2018, when she was a minor. That night, according to the accuser, members of the Vlog Squad pressured her to drink to the point that she could no longer consent. By Insider, Dobrik was present and filmed the accuser, later using the footage for a consensual “storyline” on his vlog. This vlog was later removed from YouTube, and other channels that used images from the deleted vlog were “copyrighted by a company that works with the best YouTubers”, according to Kat Tenbarge, author of Insider article.
Dobrik briefly addresses both charges in his video, which is titled “Let’s Talk”, and posted on his newest and least followed YouTube channel (which has 1.67 million subscribers, in contrast to 18.9 million and 8 , 7 million subscribers to your other two YouTube channels). “With Seth’s situation, I’m sorry for Seth, because I just want to make videos where everyone, whether you are participating or watching, are enjoying and having fun. I missed the target with that one, ”said Dobrik.
Regarding the denunciations against Zeglaitis, Dobrik said: “With people in my life that I did not film with, like Dom, I chose to distance myself, because I did not align myself with some of the actions, and it does not represent any type of misconduct. I was very disappointed with some of my friends. “Dobrik also explained that he excluded vlogs after realizing that” they no longer represent me and harm other people “. He goes on to say that he “learned from [his] errors ”, without elaborating what precisely these errors are, and concludes by promising that his future actions“ will speak louder than [his] words.”
Update, Wednesday, March 17, at 10:30 am: YouTuber Trisha Paytas replied to David Dobrik, giving us Dobrigeddon’s first iconic video title: “David turned off comments, but I’m not …” Paytas has expressed support for the victims of Vlog Squad in his podcast Frenemies with Ethan Klein of H3H3, partly because she is a victim herself. Although he does not mention her in his apology, Paytas also accused Dobrik of including her in sexual vlogs without his consent. Among other issues, on a 2018 vlog, Dobrik hid in the shower of a hotel room while having sex with then-boyfriend Jason Nash, who knew about the prank. Paytas was caught by the camera entering the bathroom naked.
“There was no consent,” she said in her reaction. “Why was I dating Jason? Why did I participate in the vlogs? Is that my consent? It was so traumatizing at the time. ”In his February 16 podcast, Paytas said he asked Dobrik not to post the video, but the vlog, entitled“ I DELIVERED IN THE ROOM OF THEIR HOTELS (SURPRISE) ”, is still on the air on his channel, with more than 14 million views. Dobrik does not recognize this or other allegations of intimidation and inappropriate interactions with minors. “His lawyer commented to Insider saying ‘if’ it happened, David did nothing wrong,” said Paytas. “It’s David’s vlog. David published. David coerced him. David told his friends to go out and do shit for him. “