YouTuber David Dobrik returns with first vlog since controversy earlier this year

David Dobrik has returned to YouTube and posted his first vlog since April, when he took a break from social media after his friend was accused of rape and his crew was accused of being ‘cult-like’ and problematic.

The four-minute and twenty-second clip does not mention the reason for the 24-year-old’s three-month hiatus.

Instead, the video shows Dobrik surprising his fellow “Vlog Squad” members with a trip to Hawaii and what they got up to while they were there.

At the end of his video, Dobrik revealed that he will be posting vlogs every Tuesday on his channel.

So far, the vlog titled: “SURPRISING MY FRIENDS!!” has had over 2.9m views since it was uploaded earlier today.

Viewers seem to be supportive of Dobrik’s comeback with 480,000 likes compared with 13,000 dislikes on the new vlog.

People have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on Dobrik’s surprise return to YouTube.

Some have seemingly forgiven Dobrik for the controversies and welcomed him back.

While others do not believe Dobrik should have returned, and reminded people what caused him to take a hiatus in the first place.

Why did David Dobrik face controversy earlier this year?

Dobrik took a break from social media following allegations from a Business Insider article which accused one of Dobrik’s friends, Dominykas Zeglaitis - as known as “Durte Dom” - of raping a woman. It was an allegation he strongly denied.

In an Instagram post Zeglaitis said: “It is time to address the recent allegations that have come out against me. I want to sincerely apologize directly to the women involved in this incident. With that being said, as far as I am concerned, everything that occurred during the night in question was completely consensual.”

It was alleged that this took place on the same night Dobrik’s group filmed and uploaded a YouTube video about group sex, titled: “SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE PLAYED WITH FIRE!!”

Former ‘Vlog Squad’ members, BigNik and Seth Francois shared their experiences of working with Dobrik on the H3 Podcast.

Nik Keswani, otherwise known as BigNik, described the Vlog Squad as “toxic” and like a “cult” during his interview with H3H3 Production’s Ethan and Hila Klein.

“For a long time I felt worthless being in those videos, I was like ‘Dude, why am I even here? What’s the point of my existence?’ Because I was just treated like this punching bag,” Keswani said.

“Everyone was just joking about me, mocking me.”

Keswani has since tweeted how Dobrik reached out to him to apologise, he also wished Dobrik and fellow Vlog Squad members well.

Meanwhile Francois, who left the vlog squad in November 2019, recalled feeling forced to participate in a non-consensual kiss for one of Dobrik’s vlogs.

“It was a video where David set up with Jason Nash and Corinna (Kopf) and said that I was supposed to do a make out scene with Corinna and he was gonna have her in an old man mask and then switched her out with Jason Nash.

“After Jason pulled off his mask, I realized that I was just touched by someone I did not consent to.”

In a video titled: “Let’s talk” that was uploaded on March 17 to his podcast channel, Views, Dobrik apologised to Francois.

“I’m sorry to Seth, because like I said, I just want to make videos where everybody in it, whether you’re participating or watching, is enjoying and having a good time, and I missed the mark with that one. And I’m really sorry, I truly truly am.”

As a result of the multiple allegations, Dobrik stepped down from the board of his photo app, Dispo and lost several brand deals including: DoorDash, HelloFresh, EA Sports and Dollar Shave Club.

Dobrik apologised to the woman who accused Zeglaitis of rape for posting the vlog from that night.

In the video to his 18.3m subscribers uploaded on March 23, Dobrik said: “I want to start this video off by saying I fully believe the woman who came out against Dom... As it was reported, the next day, I got consent to post the video.

“Even though I got the consent to post that video, I should have never posted it,” Dobrik said, who deleted the video at the woman’s request after she texted Zeglaitis in early 2019 to get Dobrik to remove it.

“What I understand now and I didn’t understand before is that she sent that text because she felt like she had to, not because she wanted to and that’s f**ked up and I’m sorry.”

Dobrik also announced in the same video that he was taking a break from YouTube.

“I’m gonna take a short break from all this social media stuff because I realize there’s a serious lack of infrastructure when I make any kind of content and I wanna be able to have a place of checks and balances.

“I wanna have HR and I wanna be able to have people communicate discomfort in a way that’s comfortable to them and where they don’t feel like their emotions or what they’re doing or how they’re acting is compromised,” he said in the seven minute video.