David Dobrik Breaks His Silence on ‘Vlog Squad’ Sexual Assault Accusations

YouTuber David Dobrik has broken his silence on the sexual assault accusations brought against members of his “Vlog Squad.” In a new video, Dobrik told his fans that he is “sorry if I’ve let you down,” while commenting on the claims that 23-year-old Vlog Squad member Dominykas Zeglaitis — known to fans as Durte Dom — is accused of getting a 20-year-old girl drunk and sexually assaulting her in 2018, when she came to the group’s home for a video shoot. The anonymous girl’s story was first reported by Business Insider, who clarified that she has not yet gone to the police to file a report.

In his video, Dobrik stated that he “chose to distance” himself from Zeglaitis and other former Vlog Squad members. He explained that he doesn’t “align with some of the actions and I don’t stand for any kind of misconduct, and I’ve been really disappointed in some of my friends, and for that reason I’ve separated from a lot of them.” Dobrik also said that “consent is something that’s super, super important to” him, and added, “Whether I’m shooting with a friend or shooting with a stranger, I always make sure that, whatever the video I’m putting out, I have the approval of that person.”

Eventually, Dobrik got around to addressing the claims of former Vlog Squad member Joseth “Seth” Francois, who came forward in February to address a prank that was pulled on him. He stated that Dobrik and the group tricked him into kissing YouTuber Jason Nash in a video. Francois stated that he was blindfolded and made to believe that he would be kissing a girl instead. “In my case, it’s blatant… the point of the video [was] to sexually assault me,” Francois said while speaking to BuzzFeed News.

“With the Seth situation, 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,” Dobrik said. “And I missed the mark with that one. And I’m really sorry. I truly, truly am.” At the end of his video, Dobrik stated that knows actions speak louder than words and that he plans to show and prove to his fans that “the mistakes I made before won’t be happening again.”