Former Vlog Squad member, Seth Francois, accused famous YouTuber David Dobrik of sexual assault.
Dobrik, 24, started with a platform on Vine before transitioning to YouTube in 2016. He is now one of the platform’s biggest vloggers, with a whopping 18.9 million subscribers to his channel. Recently his vlogs have started to raise controversy as former Vlog Squad members are speaking out against the creator and sharing stories of horrible things he has done. To add to the debate, Dobrik is set to speak at the No Place for Hate High School Tour, an anti-bullying campaign for high schoolers. People are pointing out the hypocrisy of having him on tour when he is seen fat-shaming and bullying other members of the Vlog Squad in his vlogs.
One former member of the Vlog Squad, Seth Francois, has spoken up about his Vlog Squad experience and has even accused David Dobrik of sexual assault. Seth spoke up on the H3 Podcast, hosted by Ethan and Hila Klein, about being forced without consent to make out with Jason Nash, a 47-year-old Vlog Squad member. Francois was tricked into kissing him because Nash was wearing a mask and was led to believe he was kissing a female. Francois asked Dobrik not to post the vlog, but he posted it anyways. After the video was released, Francois moved to Atlanta to get away from the harassment he was getting in his hometown of Compton. “People coming up to me left and right bringing up a situation that is legitimately traumatizing” got too hard for the former Vlog Squad member.
Trisha Paytas, another former Vlog Squad member and ex-girlfriend of Jason Nash, now hosts a podcast with Ethan Klein called Frenemies. Since Francois has come forward with his experience with Dobrik, Paytas has also spoken out against the creator. She relayed that he had filmed her naked, and when she asked him not to post the video, he did anyways. In addition, there is video footage of a conversation between Paytas, Dobrik, and Nash where Paytas says she did not want Jason making out with Seth, and it upset her. Dobrik responded by calling her crazy, and Paytas said Jason threatened to break up with her unless she apologized for getting upset. Paytas also says that she has received messages from other victims, including underage girls, of sexual assault by Vlog Squad members. She says that she will not tell anyone else’s story because it is not hers to share.
The Frenemies and H3 Podcasts are calling for David Dobrik to respond to the allegations, apologize, and take responsibility for the events that have been revealed. A Vlog Squad member, Scotty Sire, has made a video in response. The video has now been deleted, but it discussed the allegations of Seth Francois. In the video, he says, “I am totally sick of seeing my friend’s names get dragged through the mud over false allegations and lies. They haven’t said anything because the Vlog Squad doesn’t address rumors, lies, and gossip.” Many viewers accused Sire of victim shaming, and they do not understand why Dobrik himself is not addressing the issue.
As of March 16th, David Dobrik posted a 2 minute and 31-second response video titled “Let’s talk,” where he addresses some of the comments circulating the internet. “I’m obsessed with what I do; I love being able to make people happy for a living,” he begins, “that being said, consent is something that is super super important to me.” He says that he always gets permission, but he also understands that “sometimes a person can change their mind.” He continues by saying that when that happens, he takes the videos down. The creator also says that sometimes he looks back on videos and does not believe that they represent him anymore, and when that happens, he also removes them. He goes on by saying that there are people in his life he does not film with anymore because he does not support some of their actions. “I don’t stand for any kind of misconduct, and I’ve been disappointed by some of my friends, and for that reason, I’ve separated from a lot of them,” Dobrik confesses. At the end of the video, he says, “Actions speak louder than words,” so although he says he will change, he also states that he will show his fans he is changed. Watch the full video below:
So, where do you stand on the David Dobrik feud? Do you think his apology was enough, or do you think he needs to pay for the alleged actions? Leave your comments below!
