YouTuber and internet personality David Dobrik has reappeared into the limelight after a 3-month long hiatus. Back on March 16th of this year, fellow YouTuber Dominykas Zeglaitis (who goes by Durte Dom on the internet) was accused of sexual assault by a woman who appeared in a 2018 YouTube video on Dobriks channel. According to an Insider report, the woman was given alcohol by members of the Vlog Squad (a group of friends who are featured in Dobriks vlogs) and was intoxicated to the point where she could not give consent the night the group filmed the video. The allegations claim Zeglaitis raped the woman that night in her drunken state.
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Dobrik posted 2 separate apology videos addressing the situation, where he confronts the part he played in the situation with Zeglaitis. In the 7 minute video, Dobrik appeared teary-eyed admitting guilt for the power dynamic he created and revealed that he cut ties with Zeglaitis back in 2019. Following the allegations Dobriks YouTube channel, which has over 18 million subscribers, was briefly demonetized in addition to some major sponsors parting ways with him. The vlogger also left his position at Dispo; a photo-sharing app that he created worth $200 million.
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The 24-year old kicked off his return to creating content on June 15 with a YouTube vlog featuring his usual blend of laughs and hijinks alongside his frequent collaborators. For a list of trendy Youtube channels to check out, read this article from HOLR. Since June 15th, the YouTuber has returned to his regular uploading schedule of releasing a new video every week, as well as several photos posted to his 13 million followers on Instagram. Not only has Dobrik reestablished his presence on his standard platforms, but he and his colleagues have also come together for a project with the television network Discovery Channel. Dobrik and his Vlog Squad collaborated with Discovery + for Sharkbait; a special edition of Shark Week that sees Dobrik and his cohorts taking “a once in a lifetime shark diving trip”. Sharkbait premiered on July 11th exclusively on the streaming service.
Image Courtesy of Discovery
Dobrik’s arrival to his internet fandom has been met with a mixed reception. Some fans cheerfully welcomed his return, while others felt the gap he took was insufficient or that there should’ve been no return at all. The internet personality’s effort to go back to pick up where he left off sparks the debate whether cancel culture is a way of holding public figures accountable, or simply toxic and unwarranted. It’s clear that Dobrik feels its time to put the past behind him, and shows no signs of slowing down.