YouTube celebrity David Dobrik apologized for the second time on Tuesday for accusations of rape and sexual assault against a former employee who disrupted his burgeoning Internet business.
In a seven-minute video on YouTube, the popular influencer said he believed in the women who accused his longtime friend and collaborator Dominykas Zeglaitis of sexual misconduct, while expressing remorse for not addressing the problem before.
“I was completely disconnected from the fact that when people were invited to shoot videos with us, especially videos that depended on views or whatever, I was creating an unfair power dynamic. I didn’t know that before, ”said Dobrik in the exciting clip posted on his 18 million subscriber YouTube channel on Tuesday morning.
“It was completely wrong and I would like to be more responsible and I would like to be more aware at the time and I am sorry for having missed it.”
Dobrik’s monologue came when the allegations began to unravel the media empire that the 24-year-old built around his “Vlog Squad”, which featured Zeglaitis – known online as Durte Dom – as a member until 2019.
An Insider investigation detailed a young woman’s account of how members of the Vlog Squad gave her alcohol before Zeglaitis had sex with her while she was too drunk to consent. In the week since the report was published, Dobrik has left the advice of his Dispo photo-sharing app, and a dozen brands – including Chipotle, DoorDash and EA Sports – have cut ties with him.
Dobrik, 24, posted a shorter apology video last week that he said was insufficient. In the new video, he said he would take a “short break” on social media while working to establish “checks and balances” in his digital content operation, such as an HR department so people can “communicate discomfort in a comfortable way. for them.”
Dobik said he was wrong to post footage of the woman the night Zeglaitis allegedly raped her, although she gave him permission to do so the next day.
“I want to apologize to her and her friends for putting them in an environment that I have made possible and that made them feel that their safety and values were compromised,” he said.
“I didn’t know what was going on in that room and I should have been,” he added.
Dobrik also said he regretted ignoring previous allegations against Zeglaitis from other people, like YouTuber Ally Hardesty, who allegedly accused him of palpating her without consent and kissing her forcibly.
Dobrik had previously praised Zeglaitis for posting an apology video in 2017, saying Hardesty’s allegations were true “to some extent,” according to Insider.
“I couldn’t understand a childhood friend of mine doing this to people and really hurting people and I’m really sorry for that,” said Dobrik of Zeglaitis in his new video.
A Zeglaitis representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.