David Dobrik Returns To YouTube After Sexual Assault Allegations
Is anyone ever really canceled?
YouTube After a mere three months out of the spotlight following rape and sexual assault allegations, David Dobrik, 24, is back on YouTube.
What did David Dobrik do?
In March, Dobrik, came under fire after a collaborator and member of his "Vlog Squad" was accused of raping a woman during the filming of a video about group sex that was published on — and later deleted from — Dobrik's channel.
In an investigation first reported by Insider, the woman alleged that Vlog Squad member Dom "Durte Dom" Zeglaitis sexually assaulted her in 2018 after she was given alcohol to the point of incapacitation, despite being 20 at the time and under the legal drinking age.
The woman, who said Dobrik filmed her as she entered a room to engage in a threesome, alleges she was too intoxicated to consent. That video was titled "SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE PLAYED WITH FIRE!!!"
Now, Dobrik has returned with a new vlog called "SURPRISING MY FRIENDS!!" wherein the YouTuber does, in fact, surprise his friends with a trip to Hawaii.
The video ends with a card promising "New vlogs every Tuesday :)."
After the assault accusations were brought to light, 13 brands severed ties with Dobrik, including Hello Fresh, Chipotle and EA Sports, who once sent Dobrik a $290,000 Lamborghini.
Dobrik also stepped down from the board of Dispo, a disposable camera company he co-founded.
Dobrik released two apology videos.
The first, a two-and-a-half-minute video titled "Let's Talk" that he posted to his video podcast channel "Views" with comments disabled, focused largely on having received consent to post the original video.
The Views channel has nearly 1.7 million subscribers, as opposed to Dobrik's main channel which currently has 18.3 million subscribers.
That fact that was not lost on fans, who suggested Dobrik buried his apology by sharing it with a far smaller audience.
In the second video, titled simply "3/22/21" and uploaded to his main channel, Dobrik said, "I've put myself in a lot of situations where I've needed to apologize for past actions and I've never done this correctly and I've never done this respectfully, and my last video is a testament to that."
This is not the YouTuber's first brush with controversy or the first indication of problematic behavior.
In June 2020, former Vlog Squad member Joseth "Seth" Francois released a video about creator accountability, sharing clips and stories of the racism he faced as a member of Dobrik's friend group.
At one point Dobrik and his (white) friends offered Francois a drink then took him to a refrigerator filled with watermelons, engaging in blackface with Francois's reaction as the punchline.
Francois was also twice tricked into kissing Jason Nash, a comedian in his late 40s. Francois is 26.
The first time, Francois was told he was kissing a female friend.
The second time, Francois was told he was kissing models dressed as gorillas as part of an audition for Jack Link's jerky.
Francois has referred to both incidents as sexual assault, adding that the "gorilla kiss" reference was also racist.
"I first off just really want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for being a part of this type of content and not taking a stand for my people," Francois said.
Courtney Enlow is a writer and editor whose work has appeared at Vanity Fair, Glamour, Pajiba, SYFY FANGRRLS, Bustle, Huffington Post, io9, and others. She has two kids, two dogs, and requires more wine, please.