*Disclaimer: this article is not meant to make accusations against anyone involved in the situation. The intent of this timeline is to help report information about the ongoing situation.
**Trigger Warning: mentions of sexual assault and rape
Just a few weeks ago, David Dobrik was being called “Gen Z’s Jimmy Fallon.” The 24-year-old vlogger, entrepreneur, game show and podcast host rose to fame through the success of the YouTube channel that he started in 2015. Known for his famous friends, affiliations with huge companies (he frequently gifts his friends and fans cars, money, and Superbowl tickets with their help) and popular videos, it seemed as though David had it all.
On March 16th, his empire crumbled. Dobrik and members of his circle of friends (known as the ‘Vlog Squad’) have been accused of sexual assault by girls who were featured in vlogs and by ex-members of the Vlog Squad. Dobrik has since apologized and vowed to take accountability. As more victims have come forward with claims of harassment, bullying and abuse from Dobrik and his friends, his channel has been demonetized and many of his sponsors have stopped working with him. Dobrik has announced that he will be taking a break from social media to reflect, but many are calling for legal action to be taken against him and his friends. To better understand how the situation has gone from the topic of a podcast episode to national news coverage, here is a timeline of the allegations against Dobrik that have led to the downfall of “Gen-Z’s next Jimmy Fallon.”
Summer 2017: Trisha Paytas, a 32-year-old YouTuber, starts dating David Dobrik’s best friend Jason Nash. She is featured in countless vlogs and is inducted into the ‘Vlog Squad.’
May 2019: Ethan Klein, the host of the H3 podcast, makes a YouTube video titled “Instagram vs Reality” in which he compares edited photos of influencers to natural ones. He includes Trisha Paytas in his comparisons. Paytas replies with countless tweets and a video titled “h3h3 is HARMING YOUNG GIRLS!”
June 2019: After countless internet spats, Paytas and Nash finally call it quits. Trisha calls David ‘creepy’ and ‘disgusting’ in her videos. She makes a few videos about the bullying she endured from David and his friends (including Jason). She brings up an incident that occurred in one of David’s now-deleted vlogs, where David tried to pressure a then 20-year-old YouTuber named Tana Mongeau to hook up with Jason and Trisha (who were 45 and 30 years old at the time) for his vlog. Even though Trisha was extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation, David assured her it was just a ‘bit’ for his vlog.
October 2019: After months of feuding with Ethan Klein, Trisha appears as a guest on the H3 podcast. The episode goes well and it seems that Paytas and Klein have settled their dispute.
February 2020: Trisha is invited to partake in a “Bachelorette” dating show hosted by Ethan and his wife Hila for the H3 podcast.
April 2020: The dating show is put on hold due to the pandemic. However, Paytas starts posting photos with Hila’s brother, Moses Hacmon. It appears that the pair are dating.
April 2020: Trisha and the Kleins start feuding again. Paytas is accused of cutting off Hacmon from his family, Trisha accuses Ethan of ruining her relationship and calls him a virgin (to clarify, Ethan is married and has a child).
September 2020: Trisha and the Kleins reconcile and they announce that Ethan and Trisha will be hosting a new podcast called “Frenemies” together.
February 2021: Seth Francois appears on the H3 podcast and recounts the abuse he suffered while being friends with David. He discusses an incident that occurred on a vlog in 2017, where Francois was tricked into kissing Jason Nash (who was disguised with a mask) under the guise of kissing Corrina Kompf. Seth reveals he did not consent to kissing Nash and was humiliated by the video.
February 2021: On an episode of Frenemies, Trisha speaks openly about the trauma she endured while dating Jason. She brings up an instance that occurred in 2018 where Dobrick hid in her and Jason’s hotel room shower without them knowing. Once Paytas left to grab a tissue from the bathroom, David jumped out to scare her for a video, even though he knew she was naked. She says that Nash knew that David was in the bathroom the whole time they were hooking up in the hotel room and didn’t tell her.
March 2021: Scotty Sire, a member of the Vlog Squad, posts an apology on Twitter for a video he posted titled “hi” where he suggests that Francois had consented to the kissing video.
March 2021: Business Insider publishes an article detailing a sexual assault allegation made against Vlog Squad member, Durte Dom. An anonymous source tells Business Insider that she was raped during a fivesome with Dom that took place in 2018 and was the subject of a vlog called “SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE PLAYED WITH FIRE!!” The article details allegations that David’s friends bought alcohol for the girls (who were under the US drinking age at the time) on the night the assault occurred.
March 2021: Dobrik releases an apology video titled “Let’s Talk.” He apologizes for letting his fans down and says he “missed the mark” regarding the Seth situation. He does not address the allegations of sexual assault made against him by Trisha or the anonymous source. He also turns the comment section off for the video.
March 2021: Trisha and Ethan host an emergency Frenemies episode where they interview Jeff Wittek, a member of the vlog squad. He is accused of being at David’s house the night the assault took place and of supplying the girls with alcohol.
Late March 2021: David’s assistant, Natalie Mariduena, puts out a statement clarifying that she does not condone the behaviour detailed in the article. She vocalizes her support for the women who have made the accusations against Dobrik and Dom.
Late March 2021: After losing brand sponsorships with brands like Chipotle, Seatgeek, and Bumble, David releases another apology video. He apologizes to the victim who made the allegations against Dom and promises to do better. He also announces that he will be taking a break from social media for a while to reflect.
April 2021: SNL does a skit mocking YouTuber apologies, referencing all the apology videos David put out throughout March.
As the situation continues to develop, many of Dobriks fans and supporters have begun to distance themselves from him. His channel has lost viewers and many are wondering what will happen to Dobrik and the Vlog Squad.