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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11207039" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="scotty-sire">Scotty Sire</keyword> said he thought <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword> wanted the <keyword id="9054585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vlog-squad">Vlog Squad</keyword> to get injured during stunts.</li><li>Speaking to <keyword id="10022367" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jeff-wittek">Jeff Wittek</keyword> on a podcast in 2019, he said Dobrik "wants you to fall off or hurt yourself."</li><li>The clip has reemerged following Wittek's revelation about an accident that caused his eye injury in 2020.</li></ul>YouTuber Scotty Sire said David Dobrik wanted Vlog Squad members to get injured during stunts, <a href="https://twitter.com/defnoodles/status/1389666814288830466" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a resurfaced clip</a> of a podcast episode from 2019.Sire was a member of the Vlog Squad, a hugely popular <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> collective that rose to fame on Dobrik's channel. Dobrik's vlogs of the crew hanging out, partying, and performing stunts gained millions of views before they went on hiatus <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-regular-vlogs-impossible-to-film-right-now-coronavirus-2020-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due to the coronavirus pandemic last March</a>.Sire and fellow Vlog Squad member Jeff Wittek hosted a podcast together between April and November 2019, called "Skotcast." <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP65egaewtY&amp;ab_channel=Skotcastcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In one episode in June 2019</a>, they spoke about some of the vlogs they had been a part of, including one involving a motorcycle.Wittek said he didn't know how to ride a motorcycle well, but he was being "reckless" and trying to "help David get a vlog.""David's in the car and he's filming me and I was like getting the wheelies good, and he's like, f--- he's getting too good now. He wanted something to happen," Wittek said.Sire said "that's the worst thing" about vlogging."When he wants you to do something for the vlog, but you know he only wants you to do it because he wants you to fall off or hurt yourself," Sire said. "That's what's going to make it."Wittek said he had learned to appreciate life and the fact he didn't "need to do this s--- anymore.""I've got a lot to live for now," he said.Dobrik did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The clip of this conversation is recirculating online in light of recent revelations about what happened to Wittek one year later in June 2020. In a documentary released last month, <a href="https://www.insider.com/jeff-wittek-eye-injury-david-dobrik-documentary-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wittek said he seriously injured himself</a> while swinging from an excavator Dobrik was controlling and released clips of the incident.The news came after months of speculation, rumors, and hearsay about what actually happened. Wittek wrote <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCE23hwAdh3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in an Instagram caption that</a> he "got in an accident and broke my face and skull in a few places." The next posts showed the extent of the injuries, with multiple stitches on Wittek's face, and photos of him from a hospital bed wearing a neck brace.The dramatic footage in the documentary of Wittek swinging around the excavator, which appeared to be filmed by someone on the shore, showed him flying around in the air at high speed before crashing into the machine's arm. In follow-up episodes of the documentary, Wittek said he had multiple reconstructive surgeries to realign his eye.Other clips of Vlog Squad members taking part in dangerous stunts have also resurfaced, such as when Nick Antonyan, who is known as "Jonah," <a href="https://www.insider.com/nick-jonah-antonyan-david-dobrik-moped-vlog-squad-stunt-video-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drove a moped off a half-pipe into a pool</a>. He later said in interviews that he was told by doctors he had a 50% chance of dying from his injuries.<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sockaandboots/video/6957115570017930501?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1p=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In a fan-made TikTok compilation</a>, another Vlog Squad member Heath Hussar is seen limping away with an apparent injury after diving onto a table as part of a video intro.The Vlog Squad was already enveloped in controversy since sexual assault allegations were made against members in <a href="https://www.insider.com/seth-francois-accuses-jason-nash-vlog-squad-david-dobrik-assault-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3?_ga=2.224958362.169375444.1620118337-1934612651.1583486775" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March</a>, which has led to more scrutiny of what happens behind the scenes.

A Vlog Squad member said he thought David Dobrik wanted his friends to get injured during stunts in a resurfaced clip

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Scotty Sire issued an apology after posting a video attempting to debunk claims made against <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword> and Jason Nash.</li><li>Sire deleted the original video and wrote that he let "emotion get the best of" him.</li><li>Seth Francois, a former member of Dobrik's <keyword id="9054585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vlog-squad">vlog squad</keyword>, claimed that he was sexually assaulted during a Vlog Squad film shoot. </li></ul>Vlog Squad member Scotty Sire has issued an apology after releasing a video earlier this week defending fellow YouTubers and Squad members David Dobrik and Jason Nash.Dobrik, known for his popular vlog series and collaborations with brands like SeatGeek and Chipotle, has been accused by several former members of his vlog squad group of creating a toxic environment and forcing them to take part in sketches that made them uncomfortable. Former member Seth Francois has <a href="https://www.insider.com/seth-francois-accuses-jason-nash-vlog-squad-david-dobrik-assault-2021-2">most recently spoken out</a> about a sketch in which he says he was sexually assaulted as part of a prank. In the sketch, Francois was blindfolded and told he was going to be kissing a woman. Instead, he was set up with Nash, a man, instead. Sire has said he had no prior knowledge of the set-up, while Sire has said Francois knew about the arc of the sketch before-hand.<h2>Scotty Sire uploaded a <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> video that viewers immediately criticized</h2>On Thursday, Sire uploaded an eight-minute video on his channel titled "hi" discussing the allegations made by former Vlog Squad member Seth Francois.In the now-deleted video, Sire claimed that the prank against Francois was "all in good fun and he gave permission beforehand." The video also features a clip shared from Dobrik, showing text messages seemingly between him and Francois, who appeared to write that he is "down for another kissing sketch" and "I really don't care as long as u (sic) clout me up." "I am totally sick of seeing my friend's names get dragged through the mud over false allegations and lies," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fnqI5s09KQ">Sire said in the video.</a> "They haven't said anything because the Vlog Squad doesn't address rumors, lies, and gossip." Sire's video immediately received criticism and backlash, with commenters saying Sire's evidence didn't prove Dobrik's innocence. Ethan Klein, part of the H3H3 YouTube channel, has been leading the charge against Dobrik online and was the first to interview Francois. "It seems like David used this guy [Sire] to get the best response," Klein said on the Friday<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M1HyjhEJBk"> episode of the H3 podcast. </a>"Clearly David knows that Scotty is making this video and it's supplementing him with information." Klein went on to criticize Sire for trying to "assassinate his character," referring to Francois. YouTuber Trisha Paytas, who has also been highly critical of the Vlog Squad, also criticized Sire's video, calling it "victim blaming." On Tuesday, Sire posted a note apology on Twitter before taking the video down. Sire said that he let "emotion get the best of" him and "did not expect it to hurt so many people." <h2>Francois and former members of the vlog squad have come forward with their own stories </h2><a href="https://www.insider.com/seth-francois-accuses-jason-nash-vlog-squad-david-dobrik-assault-2021-2">Francois has claimed</a> that it took him months to come to conceive of the "prank" as sexual assault."When I started thinking of the activity as more criminal than a prank, it started helping me understand that they're hiding from me because they can't have the world know that the big secret within the Vlog Squad is probably my sexual abuse," <a href="https://www.insider.com/seth-francois-accuses-jason-nash-vlog-squad-david-dobrik-assault-2021-2">Francois told Insider. </a> <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-seth-francois-he-thought-he-was-kissing-her-2021-3">In a podcast clip</a> that's resurfaced from June 2017, Dobrik says that Francois was the "perfect" target and that he was chosen because he's from Compton where homosexuality is "not so accepted."Over the past month, multiple former Vlog Squad members have shared their stories of their time in Dobrik's group. "It is kind of like a cult," Nik Keswani, known as Big Nik, <a href="https://www.insider.com/big-nik-david-dobrik-vlog-squad-allegations-cult-toxic-h3h3-2021-2">told Insider. </a>"For a long time I felt worthless being in those videos, I was like 'Dude, why am I even here? What's the point of my existence?' Because I was just treated like this punching bag."Neither Dobrik nor Nash has yet to address the situation.

Vlog Squad's Scotty Sire apologized for a video attacking a former member for making sexual assault allegations

<ul class="summary-list"><li>YouTuber and former Vine star Scotty Sire is releasing two new singles in one week. </li><li>"I never would have in a million years thought that I would be making <keyword id="6354530" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="music">music</keyword>," Sire told Insider in a phone interview. </li><li>His path follows similar moves from YouTubers like <a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-tana-mongeau-interview-paris-hilton-gen-z-playlist-live-2020-3">Tana Mongeau</a> and <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/24/troye-sivans-coming-of-age">Troye Sivan</a> who also leveraged their large followings in bids for pop <keyword id="24504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="culture">culture</keyword> success. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>On Scotty Sire's latest single "<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5WLgKOmiLJQ3b86fwmtywi">Samurai</a>," which debuted April 22, the Vine star turned YouTuber turned musician seems to have some beef. "If I don't like you and you know it go away," Sire raps over a catchy beat with EDM and hip hop influences. "Yes, your mere existence is a shame. I was smiling when I woke up but you wiped it off my face." Another new single, "<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1tBsKXCq1vfpXnaB7Kt7SZ?highlight=spotify:track:10dloEtxbMUx8JgAK2zVob">Men Are Trash</a>," which was released on days earlier on April 20, is a pop dance track with lyrics that are just as confident. "I'll be a bad boy who's always good to his girl," Sire sings on the song's refrain. The artist's younger self would be surprised. As a shy kid, a future with millions of social media followers, two albums, and two nationwide concert tours was far from visible. "I never would have in a million years thought that I would be making music," Sire told Insider over the phone. The 28-year-old's path to making original music has been untraditional and largely due to his huge success as a social media personality. "I know that I owe the people who follow me a lot, because they're the ones that are listening to the music," he said. "It's not always necessary because it's good music, but it's because they like the other things that I'm doing on the internet." <h2>Sire's rise to social media stardom started with Vine, before the app folded in 2016. </h2>Sire was one of the more prolific creators on the now-defunct video platform Vine, founding the so-called "<keyword id="9054585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vlog-squad">Vlog Squad</keyword>" with <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword>, Zane Hijazi, Heath Hussar, Toddy Smith, and others. When the app shut down at the end of 2016, Sire successfully moved his audience to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/imnotscottysire">YouTube</a>, where he now has 2.97 million followers. He also has more than three million <a href="https://www.instagram.com/scottysire/">Instagram</a> followers and two million <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@scottysire?lang=en">TikTok followers</a>, and is using the short-form video app to spread his music, too. With dancer-influencer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mariahamato/">Mariah Amato</a>, he made a dance to go along with "Samurai," a recent trend artists have successfully used to <a href="https://www.insider.com/billboard-hot-100-tiktok-dance-challenge-drake-doja-cat-weeknd-2020-4">boost the popularity and reach of their music.</a>His <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> videos are mostly vlog-style and comedic videos, and he often collaborates with his friends from the Vlog Squad. "I love being involved in the Vlog Squad, and being a part of my group of friends because everyone's great," Sire said.Sire wasn't a kid who grew up watching YouTube videos, and now, he mostly just watches Dobrik's famous vlogs. Still, if he could collaborate with anyone on the platform, he said it would be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dasani-water-salt-controversy-shane-dawson-video-2020-4">Shane Dawson,</a> who's pivoted from sketch comedy to conspiracy theory shorts to documentaries to makeup videos. <h2>Actors like Jim Carrey inspired him as a shy child to dream of becoming an entertainer. </h2>Growing up in Newport Beach, California, Sire was a "super shy kid," he said. But he found solace and inspiration in comedic performers like Jim Carrey. "I remember reading something about Jim Carrey being a really a shy kid, and so he was kind of an idol for me because he was such a great actor," Sire said. "And I was like, 'well, if he was really shy but he can do this on camera and be so funny, then maybe I can do that, too.' And so that's what I tried to do." "I did always want to do something entertainment-wise. I remember when I was younger I [thought], 'maybe I'll be an actor when I'm older.' But I was also a super, super shy kid, but it's fun to play up a role on screen because I'm so mellow in-person." He's certainly found his outlet for <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword> on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and with his music, but Sire said he isn't rushing to make any films just yet. "I would go out and audition for something if it felt like a good fit for me, but I wouldn't really go out of my way," he said. <h2>He found his passion for music on accident — but now, he likes it more than YouTube. </h2>Sire had never tried his hand at music until a friend invited him over to record a song a few years ago, and Sire surprised him with having a good voice. "It just kind of happened," he said. He independently released his first album, "Ruin Your Party," in 2018, and his second album, "What's Going On," in 2019. Sire credits bands like 21 Pilots, Blink 182, and Panic! at the Disco for inspiring his own music, though he said he likes to do his own thing and not stick to one style. "I just really like the freedom to make whatever I want, which is what's fun about being an independent artist," he said, adding that he co-writes all of his songs with his producing partners. Recently, Sire says he's felt like more of a musician than a YouTuber, despite having found most of his fans on the platform. "I love YouTube and I love creating content, and that's what I think the people that follow me really like to see. But, I have more fun with music, and I'm more passionate about making a song than I am to make a new YouTube video," he said. Still, Sire said he wouldn't just walk away from his YouTube career."I would never stop filming with other people or making my own videos as well because I also really enjoy that," he said. "And I just like doing whatever I enjoy. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do both things." <h2>The influencer-to-musician path is increasingly popular, as aspiring musicians can use their online fame to gain listeners. </h2>Sire's path towards music follows similar moves from YouTubers like <a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-tana-mongeau-interview-paris-hilton-gen-z-playlist-live-2020-3">Tana Mongeau,</a> <a href="https://www.insider.com/ksi-new-rap-music-poppin-youtuber-boxing-jake-logan-paul-2020-4">KSI</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/elijah-daniel-lil-phag-profile-final-tour-adam-steve-stannable-2020-2">Elijah Daniel</a>, and <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/24/troye-sivans-coming-of-age">Troye Sivan</a> who all leveraged their large followings in bids for pop culture success. And Ava Louise, the influencer who <a href="https://www.insider.com/ava-louise-coronavirus-challenge-influencer-licked-airplane-toilet-seat-2020-3">went viral for licking an airplane toilet seat</a> during the coronavirus pandemic, has said she only took to TikTok to promote her new music. The tactic seemed to work, as her song "Skinny Legend Anthem" has amassed 1.5 million Spotify listeners. While Mongeau, who also released new music this week, remains a popular social media star, Sivan has transformed into a pop culture icon. Though Sire might enjoy making music more than YouTube videos, he said he's not planning on moving towards music full-time. "I don't think that I could ever just leave it," he said of YouTube. "And if I did, I think I would be disappointed in myself for giving up on what I was doing before that made people happier." But Sire said he believes the power of social media has evened the playing field for more singers to independently release their music. "I think that traditionally it was like, you could be a really, really great singer, and you'd go in somewhere and you'd have to be chosen to get songs made for you," Sire said. Now, thanks to social media, he said that "anyone has a chance in the industry to do something with music." <ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-tana-mongeau-interview-paris-hilton-gen-z-playlist-live-2020-3">YouTuber Tana Mongeau is Gen Z's Paris Hilton, redefining tabloid stardom for today's teens</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/youtube-breakups-power-couple-splits-drama-2020-2">16 YouTuber breakups that rocked the internet and created an entirely new genre of emotional video</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-david-dobriks-vlog-squad-with-youtube-video-editor-ughitsjoe-2020-1">A YouTube video editor who works with David Dobrik's Vlog Squad told us what it's like to film top creators, from private jets to quick turnarounds</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-dobrik-net-worth-youtube-career-vine-liza-koshy-2019-9">The rise of David Dobrik, a 23-year-old YouTuber worth over $7 million who got his start making 6-second videos</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/scotty-sire-new-music-vlog-squad-rapper-interview-2020-4">Insider</a>

How the Vlog Squad's Scotty Sire went from being a 'super shy kid' to finding millions of fans as a YouTuber and musician

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Morgan Gottowski posted a <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> on July 31 appearing to show her partying with the <keyword id="9054585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vlog-squad">Vlog Squad</keyword>.</li><li>A few days later, however, she gave an "update" saying she had <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>.</li><li>She posted another TikTok on Wednesday asking <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword> to send her food.</li></ul>A TikToker who goes by the name Morgan Gottowski says she had COVID-19 days after partying with David Dobrik and the Vlog Squad.Gottowski posted a TikTok on July 31 that appeared to show her at a <keyword id="56" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Party">party</keyword>. In the background, it appeared David Dobrik, Toddy Smith, Zane Hijazi, and Scotty Sire were in attendance, all of whom are part of Dobrik's YouTube collective, the Vlog Squad.Gottowski posted a follow-up video Wednesday on her account <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsscaptainmorgan?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1p=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@itsscaptainmorgan</a>. She showed her original video and added, "Update: I now have covid."She tagged Dobrik, Smith, and Sire in the TikTok and asked "can u at least send me food. im hungary and can't leave."Despite videos featuring the Vlog Squad often going viral, Gottowski's initial TikTok was viewed only about 900 times. Her latest one had about 500 views at the time of publication.Insider has reached out to Gottowski but did not immediately receive a response. Dobrik, Smith, and Sire also did not respond to requests for comment. The Vlog Squad has been on the receiving end of much criticism in the past months since sexual-assault allegations came out <a href="https://www.insider.com/seth-francois-accuses-jason-nash-vlog-squad-david-dobrik-assault-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">against Dobrik's friend Jason Nash</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3?_ga=2.55248299.1869707535.1619431523-1934612651.1583486775" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former member Durte Dom</a>.Critics have also suggested that Dobrik may have put his friends in uncomfortable, unpleasant, or <a href="https://www.insider.com/nick-jonah-antonyan-david-dobrik-moped-vlog-squad-stunt-video-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even dangerous situations for entertainment</a> and that sometimes it went too far, such as when the Vlog Squad member <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-vlog-squad-jeff-wittek-excavator-accident-resentment-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeff Wittek was severely injured</a> while taking part in an excavator stunt.<a href="https://www.insider.com/culture">For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team.</a>

A TikToker asked David Dobrik to send her food, saying she got COVID-19 after partying with the Vlog Squad

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In a video on his podcast channel, <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword> apologized for some of his actions and content.</li><li>Dobrik and members of his <keyword id="9054585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vlog-squad">Vlog Squad</keyword> have faced criticism regarding sexual-assault allegations.</li><li>Dobrik said consent is "super, super important" to him and that he has learned from his mistakes.</li></ul>YouTuber David Dobrik posted an apology to his podcast channel on Tuesday night, where he addressed rape and sexual-assault allegations against former and current members of his Vlog Squad crew.Dobrik, who is widely known for rarely addressing controversy, titled the video, which is two minutes and 30 seconds long, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=260IAJdFvl0&amp;ab_channel=VIEWSIEWS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Let's talk</a>," and turned off the comments and likes-to-dislikes ratio.He said he wanted to address "some conversations that have been going on" online.Earlier on Tuesday, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3">Insider published an investigation</a> that included <a href="https://www.insider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3">allegations</a> from a woman who said that she was raped during the filming of a 2018 Vlog Squad video that was posted on Dobrik's channel. She said that she was given alcohol by Vlog Squad members and became intoxicated to the point of blacking out. Then, she said, she was involved in group sex with Dominykas Zeglaitis (aka Durte Dom) that she could not consent to.In February, former Vlog Squad member Seth Francois spoke out and said that he had been tricked into kissing Dobrik's right-hand man, Jason Nash, in a 2017 video. <a href="https://www.insider.com/seth-francois-accuses-jason-nash-vlog-squad-david-dobrik-assault-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Francois said it was nonconsensual and was sexual assault</a>, as he was under the illusion that he would be kissing model and influencer Corinna Kopf, who would be wearing a mask, rather than Nash, a 45-year-old man.In his apology video, Dobrik said, "Consent is something that's super, super important to me." He continued, "Whether I am shooting with a friend, or I am shooting with a stranger, I make sure whatever video I am putting out I have the approval from that person."<h2>Dobrik said a lot of his old content no longer represents him or what he believes</h2>Dobrik did not address the details of either set of allegations, but referenced an accuser and an alleged participant."With the Seth situation, I am sorry to Seth," Dobrik said. "I just want to make videos where everyone who is participating is enjoying and having a good time. I missed the mark with that one, and I am really sorry. I truly, truly am."Dobrik also distanced himself from Zeglaitis."I have been really disappointed with some of my friends, and for that reason, I have separated from a lot of them," he said, mentioning Zeglaitis specifically. He added that he does not "stand for any kind of misconduct."In the apology, Dobrik referenced "times when people change their mind," appearing to suggest that consent was withdrawn after the fact in certain situations involving his videos.The claim echoed statements made by Vlog Squad member Scotty Sire about Francois. Sire said Francois had consented at the time but had since backtracked. Dobrik said when that happens, he "will take the video down." The two videos where Francois was pranked by Dobrik and Nash have been unlisted.The video Sire posted in defense of Dobrik was initially met with praise by Dobrik's fans. Since then, it has been <a href="https://www.insider.com/vlog-squad-scotty-sire-seth-francois-apologizes-criticizing-allegations-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">widely criticized as "victim blaming"</a> Francois and invalidating his story. Sire took the video down after less than a week and posted an apology, saying he "did not expect it to hurt so many people."In his apology, Dobrik also appeared to reference content that viewers have grown to see as uncomfortable or offensive, such as a video where he and Nash dressed up as Native Americans, or other vlogs with Francois <a href="https://www.insider.com/racist-jokes-microaggressions-and-tokenism-in-the-influencer-world-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that featured racially insensitive jokes</a>."There's also been moments where I have looked back on videos, and I realized that these don't represent me anymore, and they're hurtful to other people, and I don't want them up," he said.Dobrik ended the video by saying his main purpose with his content is "to make people happy and inspire people." He said he was sorry for letting his fans down and that he's learned from his mistakes."I also believe actions speak a lot louder than words," he said. "You can take my word for it that I'm going to change, but I will also show you and prove to you that mistakes I made before won't be happening again."

David Dobrik apologized in a new video after a woman accused a 2018 Vlog Squad member of rape

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="10022367" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jeff-wittek">Jeff Wittek</keyword> said in a new video that <keyword id="11001916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="toddy-smith">Toddy Smith</keyword> and <keyword id="11178238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="zane-hijazi">Zane Hijazi</keyword> "saved" his life.</li><li>The YouTuber was in an accident that injured his face when filming for <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword>'s vlogs.</li><li>"I'll never forget who my real friends are," he told Insider in an interview.</li></ul>YouTuber <a href="https://www.insider.com/jeff-wittek-eye-injury-david-dobrik-documentary-2021-4">Jeff Wittek revealed</a> that Vlog Squad members Toddy Smith and Zane Hijazi "saved his life" after he was injured swinging from an excavator controlled by <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-bretman-rock-vlog-squad-youtube-him-feel-irrelevant-2021-4">David Dobrik</a>, the leader of the Vlog Squad YouTube collective."I'll never forget who my real friends are," Wittek told Insider in a phone interview on Thursday.Dobrik and his content group have recently come under fire. Seth Francois, a former member of the Vlog Squad, <a href="https://www.insider.com/seth-francois-accuses-jason-nash-vlog-squad-david-dobrik-assault-2021-2">accused Jason Nash of sexual assault</a> after a kissing "prank" for Dobrik's vlogs filmed in 2017, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3?_ga=2.13466679.1856399754.1619449952-2001543201.1619274252">an Insider investigation</a> unearthed allegations of sexual assault against former member Dominykas Zeglaitis, who is better known as Durte Dom.The allegations have raised questions about the environment created by Dobrik and the Vlog Squad.Now, Wittek is sharing how his June 2020 facial injury, which was visible in Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCE23hwAdh3/">photos of himself in the hospital at the time,</a> came to be. Wittek, who has nearly three million YouTube subscribers, said in an April 21 video that the injury came from bashing his face into the arm of an excavator at high speed while filming a video with Dobrik. He left his followers in the dark about what happened to his eye for almost a year, after posting the pictures with a caption that said he "got in an accident and broke my face and skull in a few places," before revealing the truth in a YouTube docuseries titled "Don't Try This at Home." In a new video uploaded to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy1wDZJsFXRezAaNROLzXMw">his podcast YouTube channel</a> on Wednesday, the 31-year-old played the blurred video from 2020's excavator incident as he provided commentary about how his friends saved him after the gruesome accident. Wittek said in the video that he didn't understand why they were swinging on the excavator for Dobrik's vlog in the first place. "I didn't know what the point of this was," he said. "I thought it was just to go around slow, and we were gonna get the nice shot with the mountains."When the video showed the moment he slammed into the arm of the excavator, he said, "At this moment, I screamed for my life." A loud thud is heard, and Wittek can be heard splashing into the lake. Wittek said that he gets emotional watching the part of the video where people run and save him. He said Smith, Hijazi, Scotty Sire, and Ilya Federovich all ran to rescue him. They put him on a raft to get him to shore as he was bleeding profusely.Wittek said Hijazi gave him a shirt to stop the bleeding and spotted Smith also trying to help. "This moment means a lot to me," Wittek said in the video. "These guys literally saved my life."He continued, "I'll never forget that. I'll never forget these moments."In a previous installment of the series, released on Monday, Wittek said that he <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-vlog-squad-jeff-wittek-excavator-accident-resentment-2021-4">began to "resent" Dobrik</a> after the accident.Hijazi and Smith did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Jeff Wittek said Toddy Smith and Zane Hijazi saved his life after he was injured swinging from an excavator

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Toddy Smith has an audience of 2.5 million followers on Instagram (1.1 million on YouTube) and is known online as a comedian, entertainer, and writer.</li><li>Smith got his start on the defunct short-form video app, Vine, and from there met the Vine star David Dobrik, now a mega-popular YouTube creator.&#xa0;</li><li>After Vine, Smith and his group began filming videos for YouTube and eventually dubbed themselves the "Vlog Squad."</li><li>Since gaining a following online, Smith has expanded his brand into a business and has merchandise, a book, and also earns money through sponsorships, and as a brand ambassador for companies like Calvin Klein.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>Toddy Smith started off college in 2011&#xa0;as an average student, taking classes during the day and working night shifts as a bartender.Smith said that at the time it seemed like everyone was obsessed with the newest social app, Vine (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/download-your-vine-videos-before-the-app-becomes-vine-camera-2017-1">the short-form video app shut down in 2017</a>).After Smith's shift would end at work, around midnight, he would meet up with his friend Scotty Sire - now a popular YouTube star - at Sire's stepdad's bar to brainstorm video skit ideas for Vine.&#xa0;"We weren't setting out to do anything crazy on the internet," Smith said. "We were just having fun with it, then ran with it and kept going."Smith, 28, now has a massive following online, with 2.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.1 million subscribers on YouTube. He's known as an entertainer, comedian, and member of David Dobrik's popular YouTube group, the "Vlog Squad."<h2>Then came David Dobrik's YouTube Vlog Squad&#xa0;</h2>When Smith began to take Vine more seriously, he moved out to LA with Sire, and they moved in with other Viners. At that time, he still wasn't making significant money online. (He paid his first two months rent with gambling money he won in Vegas, he said.)Through Vine, Smith had met Dobrik, Jason Nash (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JasonNashComedy">2 million YouTube subscribers</a>), Erin Gilfoy, and Carly Incontro (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8CB_Pf1REAZvz6007aKdqw">1.2 million subscribers</a>) - now some of YouTube's top creators."Everyone started vlogging," Smith said of his group of creator friends. "I think the vlogs are so special because they are pretty much who we are."Smith's career really took off when he began to gain popularity on YouTube after posting his first video in 2015, a 2-minute comedy skit. And his group of friends has become a powerful force on YouTube. The group has dubbed themselves the "Vlog Squad," and are now among one of the most popular groups of creators on YouTube.&#xa0;Dobrik is the center of the Vlog Squad, and some members tend to come and go, as new creators enter the mix. Each member has their own channel, and Dobrik's is the most popular with 14 million subscribers.&#xa0;Smith said on an average day, he'll spend time editing his videos or writing, and then he'll see if anyone in the group (usually David) needs help with a video.&#xa0;"I'll help them with their videos, vice versa," he said. "It's a lot of go, go, go. People are always filming, or David will text us 'be at my house in an hour.' We are all in it together, and I think being all together we are like a team or a cast."Smith said being a member of the squad and creating videos with Dobrik has helped him grow his online business.&#xa0;"It's been a huge turning point in my career," he said. "Creating different moments and memories that we will have forever has been cool and something I never thought I'd do." It's unclear whether the Vlog Squad is transactional and Smith declined to comment on if members are paid to appear in Dobrik's videos.&#xa0;Smith is signed with a digital content studio, Collab, that works to expand his digital brand into a business, bringing him sponsorship and brand campaign opportunities.&#xa0;&#xa0;<h2>From 6-second videos online, to brand deals and a book</h2>Smith said he began to consider social-media a full-time job three years ago, when he was 25, after he landed a brand deal with American Eagle.&#xa0;"They paid me enough where I could pay my rent for a few months and really try to run with this gig full time," he said. "I thought it was a joke at first, I couldn't believe it. But, I was so happy to do it."Social-media influencers like Smith earn their money by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-influencer-how-much-money-she-earns-from-sponsored-post-2019-10">promoting brands and products to followers</a>, and through <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-influencers-one-million-views-2019-7">ads placed on videos by Google</a>. How much money a creator will earn from a single YouTube video varies, but there are some factors that can help boost revenue like a video's watch time, length, and viewer demographic.Smith didn't share how much he earns on YouTube, but previous creators similar to Smith in followers and views, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-influencers-one-million-views-2019-7">Shelby Church</a>, a YouTuber who has 1.2 million subscribers, shared with Business Insider how much she earns from a video with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-influencers-one-million-views-2019-7">1 million views</a> (between $2,000 and $5,000) and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-influencers-4-million-views-2019-9">4 million views</a> ($15,000), which shows how lucrative a YouTube career can be.&#xa0;&#xa0;Smith has expanded his digital business to selling merchandise and has become a brand ambassador for companies like Calvin Klein, which he promotes through campaigns on social <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword>.Smith also has a book, titled "I'll Give You a Dollar If You Consider This Art," which is coauthored by writer Darren Nuzzo. The book features short stories, comics, and scanned copies of one-page entries from their journals."We want to be considered artists, writers, that's why we came up with the title," he said. "We really want to connect with people on a deeper level, through inspiration or just something they can enjoy."&#xa0;For more on how to become a successful influencer, according to YouTube and Instagram stars, check out these Business Insider <keyword id="46801" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="prime">Prime</keyword> posts:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-student-sienna-santer-became-youtube-star-sharing-college-life-2019-11">A Harvard student with 265,000 YouTube subscribers breaks down how much money she earns as a college influencer</a>: Sienna Santer is a second-year Harvard student and a YouTube influencer with 265,000 subscribers.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-one-million-views-2019-10">A YouTube star and active-duty US Navy sailor shares how much money a video with 1 million views makes him</a>: Austen Alexander is an active-duty sailor for the US Navy and a&#xa0;popular YouTube influencer with 135,000 subscribers.&#xa0;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-one-hundred-thousand-views-2019-9">YouTube creator Natalie Barbu breaks down how much money she earns from a video with 100,000 views</a>: Natalie Barbu, a social-media influencer and YouTube creator with 227,000 subscribers, shared how much money she earns from a video with 100,000 views.&#xa0;</li></ul><div> </div><div> </div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/safest-walk-ice-penguin-2017-2">The safest way to walk on ice is to impersonate a penguin</a></h3> <div> </div> </div></hr>

YouTube star Toddy Smith takes us inside his influencer business and what it's like to be in David Dobrik's Vlog Squad

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword> is a <keyword id="6355064" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Celebrity">celebrity</keyword> YouTube vlogger known for his short, funny videos with his friends.</li><li>The "<keyword id="9054585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vlog-squad">Vlog Squad</keyword>" has brought Dobrik nearly 19 million YouTube subscribers. </li><li>Now, a former squad member says the group was toxic and like a "cult" behind the scenes.</li></ul>YouTube star David Dobrik's "Vlog Squad" wasn't always the wholesome friend group it appeared to be onscreen, a former member said in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTo6FA6i6PM&amp;t=5191s191s">an explosive interview</a> with H3H3 Production's Ethan and Hila Klein.Nik Keswani, who is better known as BigNik, appeared on the H3H3 "After Dark" podcast to explain why he stopped appearing on Dobrik's channel in 2018. Dobrik has nearly 19 million YouTube subscribers, is well-liked by Gen Z YouTube fans, and has been compared to reality TV hosts like Jimmy Fallon (he even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxZS0gv7J5g">took over Fallon's show</a> for an episode). On his YouTube channel, Dobrik used to upload 4-minute videos featuring funny skits of his friends. He stopped posting daily vlogs while quarantined. Read more: <a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-money-rich-richest-top-jeffree-star-mr-beast-paid-2020-12">These were the highest paid YouTubers of 2020, according to Forbes estimates</a>Keswani has 1 million YouTube subscribers of his own, and he first found internet fame on Vine, where he was initially even more popular than Dobrik. Keswani has dwarfism, and Dobrik often <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fbUwZgpNCs">made fun of his height</a> during Keswani's "Vlog Squad" appearances.In his recent H3H3 appearance, Keswani said the jokes actually hurt his feelings and eventually led to him leaving the channel. He also said that the friend group's behavior toward him could be cruel, and was damaging to his mental health. His candid interview shines a light on the reality of popular YouTube <keyword id="24504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="culture">culture</keyword> and the platform's most beloved and most profitable stars. <h2>Keswani joins other <keyword id="860150" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTubers">YouTubers</keyword> who have spoken out about Dobrik's friend group</h2>On <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTZVPoHp_Jk">a recent episode</a> of Ethan Klein's "Frenemies" podcast with Trisha Paytas, Dobrik and "Vlog Squad" member - and Paytas' ex-boyfriend - Jason Nash were discussed at length. Paytas said that the friend group was "toxic" as a whole. Keswani agreed that Paytas' assessment of the "toxic" culture was accurate."It is kind of like a cult," Keswani said. "I would come home so drained, just like mentally."Keswani said he still "loves" Dobrik, who he said he still talks to on occasion, and that he always liked Nash. But the other members of the "Vlog Squad" would gossip about him and other people in private, Keswani said. He went on to say that the other members of the friend group had a "superiority complex." Read more: <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-apologizes-for-racially-insensitive-old-jokes-and-videos-2020-7">David Dobrik said he was 'ashamed and embarrassed' about clips that resurfaced of his racially insensitive jokes</a>"I always remember talking to my friends afterward, like 'Yo, I've got to get out of this, I can't do this,'" Keswani said. "That was me behind the scenes the whole time. I was just constantly stressing about 'How do I escape from this.'" Keswani said that when he first met Dobrik, Keswani had three times Dobrik's Vine following. When Dobrik transitioned to YouTube, building his massive audience through daily vlogging, Keswani said the relationship became more of Dobrik using him and his physical appearance as punchlines, which Keswani said contributed to him struggling with depression, including feeling suicidal. "I did allow it, and that's partially my fault, for David to disrespect me in the videos, and so then everybody else got the notion of 'Oh, okay, we can disrespect BigNik too, because our master does it," Keswani said. "I'm fully responsible for allowing it. I'm just kind of disappointed that like nobody really thought it was wrong."<h2>Keswani said the toxicity in front of the camera became a part of his real life</h2>In public, Keswani said that fans of Dobrik would approach him and make jokes about his height in the style of Dobrik's vlogs. He also said that his experiences with Dobrik's friend group were his first real experience with "high school kind of bullying," which Keswani said he didn't even experience when he was in high school. He said Scotty Sire and Nash were two of the only members who defended him and were nice to him. "For a long time I felt worthless being in those videos, I was like 'Dude, why am I even here? What's the point of my existence?' Because I was just treated like this punching bag," Keswani said. "Everyone was just joking about me, mocking me."Read more: <a href="https://www.insider.com/who-is-david-dobrik-dating-natalie-madison-beer-2020-5">David Dobrik denied rumors that he's dating his assistant or singer Madison Beer: 'There's never going to be a time when Natalie and I ever hook up'</a>When Keswani initially approached Dobrik about not wanting his "Vlog Squad" appearances to include jokes about his height, he said Dobrik cut him from the videos altogether. Keswani also said that he talked to Dobrik privately in December 2019 about feeling used and that Dobrik apologized to him.He went on to say that they were on good terms with each other, but that Keswani wanted to dispel the rumor that he had been "dropped" from the group when in reality he left of his own accord. While Keswani said he wouldn't ask Dobrik to take down the videos that included jokes about Keswani's height, he did say it would be a nice thing for them to be taken off the internet. Keswani wasn't the only "Vlog Squad" member who faced bullying in the group, he said. Specifically, Keswani said that other members mocked Alex Ernst behind his back and made comments about how Ernst would "shoot" all of them because he just wanted to live a normal life off the internet. According to Keswani, some group members even gossiped about Dobrik when he wasn't around."I knew a girl who was hooking up with one of them and she would overhear conversations of people in that group talking badly about David when David wasn't around," Keswani said. "Just because you're popular doesn't mean you're a good person."

A former member of YouTuber David Dobrik's 'Vlog Squad' said the group was 'toxic' and like a 'cult'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="10982932" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="dominykas-zeglaitis">Dominykas Zeglaitis</keyword>, known online as Durte Dom, has appeared in dozens of <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword>'s vlogs.</li><li>The Durte Dom character, a blend of fiction and reality, appears misogynistic and sex-obsessed.</li><li>It's unclear when Zeglaitis plays it up for the camera or is playing a bit for the vlog.</li></ul>"I'm uncancelable," Dominykas Zeglaitis said in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilWkgFo9uIE">October 2020</a> interview. Five months later, an <a href="https://www.insider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3">Insider investigation by reporter Kat Tenbarge</a> unearthed an allegation of rape against the content creator known as "Durte Dom" online. Zeglaitis has all but disappeared from the internet in the wake of Insider's reporting. Given a platform by his childhood friend and <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> superstar David Dobrik, Zeglaitis, 25, has a long history of misogyny and controversial behavior, all documented in vlogs. The Durte Dom character evolved over the four years he appeared as a regular in Dobrik's so-called <keyword id="9054585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vlog-squad">Vlog Squad</keyword> videos, which feature a rotating collection of popular YouTubers and former Viners in Dobrik's orbit. Eventually, Zeglaitis' Durte Dom role became an amalgam of Hugh Hefner and an overzealous sex-obsessed 20-something.Dobrik's vlogs are a combination of sketch and reality, blurring the line between what's real and what's manufactured for clickbait. In the dozens of videos Zeglaitis appears in on Dobrik's channel, it's unclear when he is playing it up for the camera and when he is actually being himself. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3">A woman featured on YouTube star David Dobrik's channel says she was raped by a Vlog Squad member in 2018 the night they filmed a video about group sex</a>Reviewing YouTube videos featuring Zeglaitis in the wake of sexual-assault allegations paints a picture of a group that was so focused on creating content that they ignored possible red flags along the way.<div type="image" title="durte dom david dobrik vlog insider" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81659178" hostid="261"></div><h2>Durte Dom was there from the start but evolved with the Vlog Squad</h2>Zeglaitis is one of Dobrik's oldest childhood friends from Vernon Hills, Illinois, and can be seen in the first videos on his channel in 2015.There's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acbA1plzXFY">"Cool Intro"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhmqSeg0XLQ">"Drove Cross Country for In-N-Out"</a> that were created before the vlogs officially started, featuring Zeglaitis as himself, without the pink bandana or sexual innuendos he would soon become known for on Dobrik's channel.By the third video, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA0RVPS4sQU">"Epic Roommate Prank,"</a> the pair had moved to LA and the persona started to take shape. In the video, Dobrik dons a long-haired wig and pretends to give fellatio to Zeglaitis in their roommate's bed in an effort to prank her. Zeglaitis soon became a key player in the Vlog Squad, frequently appearing in the 4-minute-and-20-second vlogs posted multiple times weekly on Dobrik's channel. After appearing a half-dozen times as Zeglaitis, his persona, "Durte Dom," becomes defined as a drug dealer. In multiple vlogs throughout 2015, he made jokes about his phony career, with claims that he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XMh244R7pw">"just got back from prison"</a> and that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsrDJcW6d1Y">"drugs are the key to life."</a>The character was extremely important to Dobrik's vlogs, with several of his own Vlog Squad inside jokes. In the video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOUYFUrpSaI">"PAPPARAZZI!!?,"</a> a running joke that would last for years is born, as Dobrik gives Zeglaitis the chance to shout out his social-media handles, only to cut him off before the clip finishes. 2015 vlogs feature bits where Zeglaitis yells for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n07DmfhrsA">"sluts" off his balcony</a>, asks if the latest iPhone can test for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZGc2H5z_Hc">"AIDS and Chlamydia,"</a> and shows stacks of money, while Dobrik asks if he earned it from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV-ldC8TseE">"selling drugs."</a> Dobrik said in another vlog, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-QfgPTaxY8">"HE CALLED THE POLICE!!,"</a> that Zeglaitis never drank or did drugs in high school, but "the second he moved out here he completely changed." As the drug-using persona evolved, the idea that Zeglaitis was sex-obsessed became essential to his character. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLdPGYRiyuo">In a 2016 vlog,</a> Dobrik asks Zeglaitis where he "sees himself in 20 years." Roommate Alex Ernst replies, "Probably knocking on his neighbor's door saying, 'Hey, I'm a sexual predator.'"Later that year, the vlogs became extremely successful, averaging four to seven million views a video. Zeglaitis capitalized on his new brand, dying his hair and talking about marijuana in every scene. 2016's "BEDROOM CAMERA FOOTAGE!!" shows Dobrik and Ernst knocking on Zeglaitis' door. Zeglaitis appears shirtless with a "girl in his room" and says he is showing her his "birthday cards."Like many other "Vlog Squad" moments, it's not clear whether this bit is staged or if Dobrik really walked in on his roommate for content. <h2>As Dobrik's vlogs grew, so did Durte Dom and his brand</h2>By late 2016, the Durte Dom persona had fully formed and Zeglaitis had created his own YouTube channel. Now equipped with bright-blonde (then pink) hair, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjwZxFEtg8I">he posted pranks </a>and his own vlogs sometimes featuring Dobrik and other members of the Vlog Squad.Views on the channel were consistently in the six-figure range. Zeglaitis used videos of himself kissing women - including celebrity cameo <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpEnfGlS534">Kylie Jenner</a> and Vlog Squad member Corinna Kopf - as clickbait, which <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpEnfGlS534">caused view surges</a>. He would also attempt publicity stunts, like asking his fans to pay $2,000 to take him to prom. May 2017's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvv_-QZz3Kc">"WHO IS HIS NEW GIRL!!?"</a> featured a bit where Dobrik walks into a room of two-dozen people, which Dobrik says is "all of the girls Dom has hooked up with" at UCLA. This vlog then features interviews with two women who claimed to have actually "hooked up" with Zeglaitis."It wasn't my choice, honestly," one says, prompting Dobrik to respond, "That's what every girl says when they hook up with Dom." Dobrik then asks the other girl "What about Dom turns you on?" and she says, "He was straight forward" and then after an editing cut says, "He just came up and did what he wanted."While posting on his own channel, Zeglaitis still appeared in many of Dobrik's vlogs. One March 2017 video featured a room full of children in their shared apartment, as the kids chanted for Ernst to take his shirt off. Zeglaitis asked if any of their moms could come upstairs, and said that he could "out smoke" all the kids.The channel uploaded videos frequently throughout 2017, pausing briefly in June of that year after Zeglaitis was accused of sexual misconduct by <a href="https://twitter.com/elijahdaniel/status/879633018977009665">YouTuber Elijah Daniel</a>. But by the next month, he was back to posting vlogs with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL3FC3eoT_4">Dobrik in their hometown</a>.<h2>Durte Dom adopted grander gestures to get into Dobrik's vlogs</h2>In 2018 and 2019, Zeglaitis continued to make appearances.In 2018's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHhnlr48B_E">"CRINGEY BLINDFOLDED MAKEOUT!! (SURPRISE)"</a> Zeglaitis is blindfolded by Dobrik and is expecting to kiss two women but at the last second, one is switched out for a man. In another vlog that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NGvmq0Nfe4">has since been deleted</a> from November, Zeglaitis has a threesome with two women. (In March 2021, one of those women came forward and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3">told Insider that she was raped by Zeglaitis</a> that night.)By the time 2019 arrived, Zeglaitis was getting more inventive with his cameos. He started wearing a pink bandana, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUVg1TuCXWs">showing off his pet</a> (named "Dirty Dog"), and continuing to push his eccentric character. In March, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCYffZaMH2E">he put a little person in a suitcase to steal from a store</a>, and in April, Dobrik gifted him <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUfJQxANrx8">a new iMac in a video</a>.In other videos, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18hSorUB1QU">he shows off a hickey</a>, tells Dobrik's assistant Nathalie to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oslLIjuhXOI">"shake her f---ing ass on camera and get your t--s out"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57w_96TyK0s">visits a weed growery.</a>Zeglaitis' attempts to get featured were becoming larger. He'd <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRPNw6_SfTA">wear speedos for clickbait</a>, set up a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkNP1ZRJqGA">"private club"</a> in his kitchen, and throw a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiCPiq2ARzU">massive party in his own apartment</a> to get featured in the vlog. Honoring Dobrik became an easy way to get in the vlog - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=264Ishw4ZZ0">he rode a tour bus by Dobrik's house</a>, set up staged apartment tours where <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIYzdIphPzM">they lived together</a>, and paid <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vtiM5m8bng">a chorus line to dance outside his window</a>.<div type="image" title="david dobrik durte dom insider allegations" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81659179" hostid="261"></div>During this time, Dobrik became more popular than ever. He made a guest cameo in the 2019 movie "Angry Birds 2," gave away cars, and partnered with major brands like EA Sports. (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brands-no-longer-working-with-youtube-star-david-dobrik-list-2021-3">Many brands have since distanced themselves from Dobrik following allegations against Zeglaitis</a>, including EA Sports.)Zeglaitis' last cameo in the vlog - which is still up on Dobrik's channel - is from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=verfkI7Cyg0">September 2019</a>. He is asked why he always flirts with Vlog Squad member Carly Incontro. "Y'know what they say about girls when they are single, they give off more pheromones," he says in the clip.Though Zeglaitis continues to post on his own channel, sharing an interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dO9YH6OhTY">Vlog Squad's Scotty Sire</a>, the group has appeared to distance themselves from him."It's really cool to be a part of the Vlog Squad, such a large entity, but at the same time we have to differentiate and move past that," Zeglaitis said in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpbEivPw3GE">November 2019 podcast</a> about his leave of absence from the vlogs. Throughout 2020, Zeglaitis posted sporadically on his own YouTube channel, instead putting most of his content on TikTok where he has 2.7 million followers. On March 22, 2021, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB734hc89x8&amp;t=73s=73s">Dobrik released a new apology video</a> saying that he "could not wrap my head around a childhood friend doing this to people and actually hurting people" and that he "made the decision to no longer film with Dom in 2019."Insider reached out to Zeglaitis about his past behavior on YouTube, but did not hear back at the time of publication.

A history of 'Durte Dom' in David Dobrik vlogs shows a pattern of inappropriate behavior disguised as comedy

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6508496" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="anthony-padilla">Anthony Padilla</keyword>, who established himself as one of <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword>'s first stars after founding the wildly popular channel SMOSH in 2006, is turning his attention to a new venture: the "I Spent A Day With..." series, a talk show he writes and produces.</li><li>While the series began as an extension of his work in comedy, Padilla quickly realized that he could use his platform to have an earnest conversation with underrepresented and marginalized groups. </li><li>In the last two years, the YouTube star has generated over 90 million views from interviews with groups combatting prejudice. </li><li>In the series' latest installments, Padilla has tackled the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Over the past two years, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPJHQ5_DLtxZ1gzBvZE99_g">Anthony Padilla</a> has interviewed <keyword id="1818636" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="furries">furries</keyword>, KIDZ BOP stars, professional cosplayers, ex-cult members, nudists, <keyword id="308520" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Area-51">Area 51</keyword> stormers, sugar babies, witches, cam girls, and professional cuddlers. The YouTube star's "I Spent A Day With..." series, which he launched in 2018 after sitting down with "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S6HQGHqQa0">flat Earther</a>" conspiracy theorists, whose ideas have been repeatedly disproven, has evolved to become an online destination for exploring the experiences and psyches of individuals that are part of intriguing, controversial, or marginalized groups. To date, Padilla's sit-down interviews have generated over 90 million views. <h2>The 32-year-old, who is considered to be one of the original YouTube stars, got his start on the platform in 2006 when he and his friend, Ian Hecox, created a channel called SMOSH.</h2><div type="image" title="Anthony Padilla, Ian Hecox" height="1661" width="2214" msid="75609387" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/smosh">SMOSH</a>, which began as a website in 2002 (featuring videos of the two lip-syncing cartoon theme songs) experienced massive success on the new video-sharing platform. The duo began by producing sketch comedy videos, from a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEvZJQG6ims">George Washington vlog</a> to advice on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiUeuRbdIZY">how not to make a first impression</a>. Over the next decade, the two-person project evolved into an empire, boasting a team of actors, a movie, two spinoff channels, and millions of subscribers. In 2017, however, Padilla parted ways with SMOSH, citing creative restrictions from the brand's parent company — and he decided to pursue new projects on his personal YouTube channel. <h2>The move from creating sketch comedy to producing his own talk show was not an obvious choice. </h2><div type="image" title="Anthony Padilla" height="1875" width="2500" msid="75609392" hostid="261"></div>Padilla claims he actually stumbled into the newest phase of his career. Interviewing, he says, was not necessarily something he knew he would enjoy — but after sitting down with other content creators to make a parody video about what it means to be a professional YouTuber, he found his niche. "I realized how much I enjoyed improvising and asking people questions," he told Insider. "Coming from a background of so many things that relied on comedy, the idea of being genuine on camera was frightening. But I realized that there was some space for me to be natural."After his first interview with flat Earthers, Padilla says, it became clear that his background in comedy could be useful in tackling the unfamiliar and the "outlandish" — but as he sat down with more interview subjects, particularly ones from marginalized groups rather than conspiracy communities, his approach began to change. "I thought maybe I could use my platform, not just to get some cheap laughs but to also learn about people at the same time," he told Insider. "Then it just started growing and evolving into a series where I relied less and less on comedy and more on just getting to know people more."After conducting several interviews with vulnerable groups, Padilla was struck by the weight of his newest undertaking. "And I realized the further I went and the more misunderstood groups I sat down with, these people really had a lot of trust in me to portray them accurately and give them a voice on a platform that they maybe never had before," he explained. <h2>Now, Padilla hopes his interview series can be a safe platform for underrepresented groups to reach a large audience.</h2>"I feel like there's not really a safe place for many people on the internet to feel like they could speak about their struggles and their vulnerabilities while also representing well and having a voice that could be heard," he said. "There are really not many places where people feel like they can reach a wide audience of people who just want to learn and listen to what's going on in their lives."Providing a safe place for his guests to educate an audience requires preparation. Padilla, with the help of a production coordinator, takes weeks to research each episode's topic, reading relevant articles and blogs, watching existing YouTube videos on the subject, and studying previous interviews. He then writes an introduction that typically explains the group's history and misconceptions they may face.<h2>As the series has developed a devoted following, subscribers even write in to request that he interview certain groups. </h2>Fans frequently submit their requests for interviews with various groups as well as questions they have for upcoming guests."It's how I get a sense of what people are curious about and what misconceptions are out there," Padilla explained.One particular interview that was driven by fan interest was an episode titled "I Spent A Day With Multiple Personalities," in which Padilla sat town with individuals diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (<keyword id="313116" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="DID">DID</keyword>). The episode, he said, ended up being one his best."It really taught me a lot about how complex the human brain is and how resilient it is — how it wants to survive," he recalled. "And I think that interview is really, really important. It was monumental."The episode, he says, also highlights just how "deep" that 20-minute interviews can really go."Afterward, it felt like I ran a marathon because it was so emotional," he said of the experience. His interview subjects and their stories ultimately stuck with him. Weeks later, his fellow YouTuber Trisha Paytas <a href="https://www.insider.com/trisha-paytas-claims-to-have-dissociative-identity-disorder-in-video-2020-3">posted a video</a> in which she claimed to have multiple personalities, made several inaccurate claims about DID, and called one of his interview subjects "crazy." The video outraged viewers, prompting <a href="https://www.insider.com/trisha-paytas-youtube-feud-did-dissociative-identity-disorder-2020-3">angry responses</a> from subscribers and people diagnosed with the disorder. Padilla was one of the first to respond to the video, posting an Instagram story in which he wrote, "claiming you have dissociative identity disorder is not a cool excuse to mock people in the community and call them crazy."<h2>In the latest installments of the "I Spent A Day With..." series, Padilla is tacking the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. </h2>For the past month, the YouTube star is turning his attention to the people affected by the pandemic, donating profits from recent episodes to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 response fund.In an episode titled "I spent a day with CORONAVIRUS SURVIVORS," he spoke with Carol Goldman, who was stranded on the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-diamond-princess-cruise-ship-coronavirus-quarantine-went-wrong-2020-2">Diamond Princess cruise ship</a>, YouTuber Katie Hodges, and one of his own subscribers, Naome.All three tested positive for COVID-19."The message I was trying to relay is that COVID-19 is very real," he said of the series' pivot to focusing on the pandemic. "I wanted [viewers] to see how rampant this virus is because maybe some of them haven't seen it firsthand."Padilla also posted episodes in which he spoke with immunocompromised individuals who are considered "high risk" for contracting the virus and frontline health workers who are grappling with a new reality. One frontline worker, a nurse practitioner named Katie, and admitted to "cry[ing] every day" and facing verbal abuse outside of the hospital when wearing her scrubs in public places. Another healthcare provider, Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, who works at Massachusetts General Hospital, warned that re-opening public spaces too soon will result in an influx of patients that hospitals cannot accommodate."We'll have people dying on football fields with blankets and no ventilators," he said. Ultimately, Padilla says, he hopes his COVID-19 segments can be the "right messaging" to convince his subscribers of the gravity of the situation. While his recent content has been largely centered around the pandemic, Padilla plans to continue to elevate a wide range of voices on his show. "I realized that if we all took the time to ask more questions and get to know the people around us, even the ones at first sight and they consider it a bit strange, this world would have so much less judgment and prejudice in it," he said. Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-net-worth-youtube-career-vine-liza-koshy-2019-9">The rise of David Dobrik, a 23-year-old YouTuber worth over $7 million who got his start making 6-second videos</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/scotty-sire-new-music-vlog-squad-rapper-interview-2020-4">How the Vlog Squad's Scotty Sire went from being a 'super shy kid' to finding millions of fans as a YouTuber and musician</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/trisha-paytas-claims-to-have-dissociative-identity-disorder-in-video-2020-3">Trisha Paytas is causing controversy with a video claiming she has multiple personalities and Dissociative Identity Disorder</a>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/anthony-padilla-video-youtube-interview-profile-2020-5">Insider</a>

Anthony Padilla is YouTube's microphone for the people, interviewing everyone from furries to COVID-19 survivors

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9130845" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="dixie-damelio">Dixie D'Amelio</keyword> is one of the most-followed people in the world on <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> along with her sister, Charli, who claims the top spot on the app.</li><li>D'Amelio and her sister represent a shift in <keyword id="6355064" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Celebrity">celebrity</keyword> <keyword id="24504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="culture">culture</keyword> that has left Gen Z caring more about TikTokers than traditional celebrities like actors and musicians. </li><li>The 18-year-old, who is almost done with high school, plans to pursue acting and singing. </li><li>"I just try to show my personality, because I'm not a dancer, and a big portion of [TikTok] is dancing. And also, Charli and I are two different people, and we've always tried to never be in competition," she told Insider in an exclusive interview. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>At the start of her field hockey season last fall, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dixiedamelio?lang=en">Dixie D'Amelio</a> was a typical senior at her Connecticut high school. She went to practice, did her homework, worked at a clothing store, and spent copious amounts of time watching and uploading videos on TikTok. "I was just watching [TikTok] like everyone else," she said in a phone interview from her family's home in Norwalk, Connecticut, where she's quarantining during the coronavirus pandemic. But by the last game of the season, she noticed students from other teams taking videos of her on the field. Within just a few months, she would become one of the most famous teenagers on the internet and her younger sister, Charli, would <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr69znCTnDk">star in a Super Bowl commercial</a> and become the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-charli-damelio-most-popular-creator-loren-gray-2020-3">most-followed TikTok account</a> (51.1 million followers) on the short-form video app.Dixie, who has 21.5 million TikTok followers, isn't a dancer like 15-year-old Charli. She's shy, yet confident; chill, yet goofy. This is how she describes herself. But it's also how fans view the somewhat mysterious 18-year-old whose specific personal brand may be a little less clear than that of dancers like Charli and her friend <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@addisonre?lang=en">Addison Rae Easterling</a>, all of who have been associated with the <a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-hype-house-facing-power-struggle-legal-dispute-2020-3">Hype House collective</a>. "I just try to show my personality, because I'm not a dancer, and a big portion of [TikTok] is dancing. And also, Charli and I are two different people, and we've always tried to never be in competition," D'Amelio said. "I don't want to do what she's doing. I don't want to be a dancer, because that's her thing and I have my thing." <h2>The D'Amelio girls represent a shift in celebrity culture that has left Gen Z caring more about TikTokers than traditional celebrities.</h2> A <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=Dixie%20D%27Amelio">search for Dixie D'Amelio on Google Trends</a> demonstrates just how quickly she went from a private figure to a public one. Until October 2019, there was no search interest in her name. By December, her name hit "peak popularity," according to Google data. Her fame literally went from zero to one hundred in two months. <div type="image" title="dixie damelio google trends" height="1334" width="2518" msid="75414751" hostid="261"></div>The D'Amelio sisters' meteoric rise to fame has come to define their generation.My own younger sister, a sixth-grader, practically screamed over FaceTime when I told her I had an interview with a D'Amelio. While my late-millennial friends and I spent our teenaged years preoccupied with tabloid stories about TV stars like Hilary Duff and Zac Efron, Gen Z gets their celebrity fix straight from TikTok and its stars, who are famous for just being themselves. "TikTok is an app where people love personalities and being original," D'Amelio said. The relatability and appeal of seeming "just like us" is a huge factor in why influencers have such a stronghold over their fans today. <a href="https://www.insider.com/patrick-starrr-daily-makeup-routine-video-call-zoom-wfh-2020-4">Patrick Starrr</a>, a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDHQbU57NZilrhbuZNbQcRA">beauty YouTuber with 4.45 million subscribers</a>, said in a previous Insider interview that "through the lens of our phones, [influencers] have been able to develop a connection" with their fans directly. Of course, <a href="https://www.insider.com/celebrities-filming-more-cameo-videos-during-quarantine-announces-cameo-con-2020-3">traditional celebrities have learned</a> the importance of this connection — every singer, actor, athlete, politician, and comedian has millions of followers on their own social media accounts. But the huge and sudden growth both D'Amelios had on the app also demonstrates one way by which TikTok differs from its fame machine predecessor YouTube: Videos require minimal effort and can have huge rewards. Many of the top creators on the app <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/10/2/20891915/tiktok-famous-teenagers-haley-sharpe-yodeling-karen">didn't intend on becoming famous</a> (though some <a href="https://www.insider.com/ava-louise-coronavirus-challenge-influencer-licked-airplane-toilet-seat-2020-3">aspiring celebrities like Ava Louise</a> have used the app <a href="https://www.insider.com/ava-louise-licked-toilet-tiktok-skinny-legend-anthem-dr-phil-2020-4">in the hopes of gaining attention</a>). Like the D'Amelios, they just posted fun and cute clips, and by some combination of luck, general appeal, and the <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xwezwj/how-does-tiktoks-for-you-page-work-users-have-some-wild-theories">app's infamously secretive algorithm</a>, they were discovered. When followers ask in the comments section how to can get famous like her, D'Amelio isn't sure what to say. "I don't think anyone knows, because no one was trying to [become famous] on this app," she said. Alessandro Bogliari, the co-founder and CEO of influencer marketing agency The Influencer Marketing Factory, echoed this sentiment, writing in an email that the D'Amelios achieved fame "without any particular strategy or a 'marketing' agenda." <h2>D'Amelio said comedic content is "kind of [her] lane" — and she's excited to show the world her lifelong passion for singing and acting. </h2> Dixie's TikTok videos include comedic skits, lip-syncing videos, and other miscellaneous front-camera footage. In many videos, she participates in popular TikTok dance trends in an almost self-deprecating way. In one recent post, the caption mockingly asked if doing one dance made her a "real" TikToker. "Being able to do comedy, or skits, or just talking on TikTok is kind of my lane and where I stay," she said of her content.While Dixie and Charli's fame is thoroughly intertwined, Dixie and Charli are both actively working to cultivate their own brands. When the sisters met J. Lo, who Charli has said is her idol, during the Super Bowl in February, D'Amelio said she tried not to "get involved" and "let [Charli] do her own thing."While Charli grew up dancing competitively, D'Amelio spent her time singing and participating in musical theater. She was in more than 20 shows — including "The Little Mermaid," "Cinderella," and "Aladdin" — through her school and local community theater and took voice lessons throughout her childhood. (She paused her theatrical pursuits to pursue running track and playing field hockey in high school.)"I've done theater all my life, so being involved in acting and singing is so exciting, because I'm finally getting the opportunity where I can show things that I'm interested in, but to an audience who wants to see it, which is just so humbling," she said. "I'm so grateful for it." She's already tried her hand at on-screen acting with a <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dixie-damelio-cast-brat-tv-series-attaway-general-1279461">recent role on Brat TV</a>, a media company airing its shows on YouTube. Her show "Attaway General" premieres in May.With <a href="https://www.insider.com/billboard-hot-100-tiktok-dance-challenge-drake-doja-cat-weeknd-2020-4">TikTok keeping hold of the music industry</a> to such an extent that artists are rolling out songs <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/arts/music/drake-toosie-slide-tiktok.html">with the app in mind</a>, many influencers have recently found success releasing their own music, as D'Amelio hopes to do eventually. <a href="https://www.insider.com/loren-gray-tiktok-popular-music-the-man-taylor-swift-2020-3">Loren Gray</a>, who was previously the most-followed person on the app, recently had a cameo in Taylor Swift's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqAJLh9wuZ0">"The Man" music video</a>. Big personas — including <a href="https://www.insider.com/scotty-sire-new-music-vlog-squad-rapper-interview-2020-4">Scotty Sire</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/ksi-new-rap-music-poppin-youtuber-boxing-jake-logan-paul-2020-4">KSI</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-tana-mongeau-interview-paris-hilton-gen-z-playlist-live-2020-3">Tana Mongeau</a>, and <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/24/troye-sivans-coming-of-age">Troye Sivan</a> — from TikTok, as well as other platforms like YouTube have all sought out and achieved varying levels of mainstream pop music success. But for now, D'Amelio is finishing up her last year of high school from home as the coronavirus pandemic has shut down schools nationwide. Beyond her upcoming graduation, she doesn't have concrete future plans, but her <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-tiktok-nano-influencers-can-make-money-from-sponsored-posts-2020-4">social media career</a> certainly has her busy with brand partnerships. Last week, skincare company <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_OdL0JFUpg/">Dermalogica named D'Amelio an ambassador</a> for the Clear Start product line. She also often works directly with TikTok on projects like their Happy at Home live video series. <h2>The exponential rise to social media royalty "still hasn't hit" her, D'Amelio said. </h2> As she continues to receive more and more opportunities, D'Amelio keeps in mind that her young followers are watching. She hopes to continue using her platform to instill confidence in her fans. She and her sister <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jFYPyC9n_0">collaborated with UNICEF</a> earlier this year for an anti-bullying project, as the D'Amelios have faced their share of social media body-shaming and negativity. "In the beginning, it was very hard and I would try to write back at people, but I realized that bringing more attention to the negativity just doesn't do anything," she said of receiving hate online. "They don't know who I am as a person, so it shouldn't bother me." Despite being one of the most famous teenagers in the world, D'Amelio said it "still hasn't hit" her that millions of people watch her every day. "Sometimes when I go out in public and I see people looking at me, I forget," she said. "I'm like, 'Why are they staring at me? I'm so confused.' And then they come up and talk to me and have a conversation. I'm like, 'Oh, I didn't even know. I thought there was something on my face,'" she said, laughing. <ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/addison-rae-easterling-interview-tiktok-business-merch-dance-fame-money-2020-4">TikTok star Addison Rae describes her rise to 33 million followers, from dancing competitively at 6 years old to catching Mariah Carey's attention</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-charli-damelio-most-popular-creator-loren-gray-2020-3">Charli D'Amelio has officially become the most followed creator on TikTok</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/charli-dixie-damelio-tik-tok-biggest-stars-cyberbullying-video-2020-2">One of TikTok's biggest stars say she gets hundreds of thousands of hate comments every week, often focusing on her body and weight</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/charli-d-amelio-bio-how-old-tiktok-famous-renegade-super-bowl-2020">Inside the life of 15-year-old Charli D'Amelio, the most popular teen on the internet who became the top TikToker for her viral dances and Hype House membership</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/dixie-damelio-interview-profile-tiktok-fame-charli-2020-4">Insider</a>

TikTok star Dixie D'Amelio had a meteoric rise to fame with her sister, but now she's determined to make her own brand: 'Charli and I are two different people'

You Searched For "scotty sire" and got 11 results

A Vlog Squad member said he thought David Dobrik wanted his friends to get injured during stunts in a resurfaced clip

Lindsay Dodgson

Vlog Squad's Scotty Sire apologized for a video attacking a former member for making sexual assault allegations

Steven Asarch

How the Vlog Squad's Scotty Sire went from being a 'super shy kid' to finding millions of fans as a YouTuber and musician

Rachel E. Greenspan

A TikToker asked David Dobrik to send her food, saying she got COVID-19 after partying with the Vlog Squad

Lindsay Dodgson

David Dobrik apologized in a new video after a woman accused a 2018 Vlog Squad member of rape

Lindsay Dodgson

Jeff Wittek said Toddy Smith and Zane Hijazi saved his life after he was injured swinging from an excavator

Moises Mendez II

YouTube star Toddy Smith takes us inside his influencer business and what it's like to be in David Dobrik's Vlog Squad

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