David Dobrik is already reviving his controversial “Vlog Squad” — only three months after rape and sexual assault allegations rocked his $200 million YouTube brand.
Dobrik shocked his 18.3 million subscribers with a new video Tuesday night. The comeback clip — titled “SURPRISING MY FRIENDS!!” — features quick snapshots of Dobrik surprising his friends with his vlogging comeback.
The comeback clip has already racked up more than 3 million views, leaving some YouTube commenters to question the brevity of his hiatus — which is only vaguely referenced in the new footage.
However, Dobrik quickly apologized and seemed to acknowledge how his actions blurred the lines between consent and coercion.
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“I was completely disconnected from the fact that when people were invited to film videos with us, especially videos that relied on shock for views or whatever it was, that I was creating an unfair power dynamic. I did not know this before,” Dobrik said in the emotional clip posted in March to his followers.
Jason Nash’s mother, screamed at Dobrik, “I’ve been worried about you. I’m on Xanax because of you.”
David also reveals to his on-cam friends that he’s treating them on a trip to Hawaii. In response, vlogger Jeff Wittek cracks a joke: “Call off the lawsuit, he’s doing something,” an apparent reference to his prior public statements about Dobrik’s push for Jeff to participate in a life-threatening prank.
The comeback video also shows clips of Dobrik getting back into the swing of vlogging. In typical Dobrik fashion, he shows off one of his latest wild purchases — a full-scale red wagon, which he can drive in amongst actual cars. Additional clips feature his crew wreaking havoc in Hawaii.
Still, Dobrik reassures viewers, this is not a one-time video, and ends the clip with a promise of “new vlogs every Tuesday :).”
After the drop of this new video, Dobrik is now a trending topic on Twitter, with fans and haters alike expressing their shock over his sudden comeback.
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Some fans even speculated that the surprise post was a deliberate move on Dobrik’s part. Trisha Paytas recently left the “Frenemies” podcast, vacating her popular Tuesday “slot” — which offers a hot opportunity for Dobrik to re-seize some prime digital real estate.
Paytas garnered a lot of attention as a host of the podcast, for regularly exposing YouTube favorites — including Dobrik and his squad. Amid a sea of welcome backs, many YT commenters didn’t hesitate to call out what they viewed as the convenient timing of his new video drop.