Thought David Dobrik was canceled after his colleague was accused of rape? He's back

Less than three months into a YouTube hiatus after a member of his Vlog Squad was accused of sexual assault, David Dobrik is back on the platform — and it looks like he's here to stay.

Dobrik posted a new video Tuesday, reprising his role as a jolly YouTube prankster and promising new uploads every week. With more than 5 million views already, the update features cameos from his usual collaborators, including Corinna Kopf and Jason Nash.

It does not, however, address Dobrik's months-long absence from the platform, where he has more than 18 million subscribers. (On Wednesday, Dobrik also popped up on Instagram in an all-smiles portrait advertising his return.)

The new uploads follow allegations that put Dobrik and his collaborators under intense scrutiny. In March, an Insider article detailed rape allegations against one of Dobrik's collaborators, Dominykas "Durte Dom" Zeglaitis, during the filming of a 2018 Dobrik video. (The Times has not independently corroborated the allegation.)

Zeglaitis issued an apology in April but contended that the encounter with the woman who accused him of rape was consensual. Dobrik also addressed the allegations, breaking from his usual antics for a seven-minute long apology video — a re-do of his initial statement, which critics deemed insincere.

The fallout was swift. YouTube temporarily demonetized channels owned by Dobrik and Zeglaitis after the allegations were published, telling Insider, "We have strict policies that prohibit sexual harassment on YouTube and take allegations of sexual assault very seriously."

Sponsors such as EA Sports and Dollar Shave Club parted ways with Dobrik. The YouTuber also left his position as a board member at Dispo, a photography app he co-founded that's valued at $200 million.

Tuesday's unexpected return to YouTube saw Dobrik and his collaborators on a mischief-fueled trip to Hawaii. It includes the star surprising his friends with plane tickets.

"Call off the lawsuit. He's doing something," vlogger Jeff Wittek joked in a fake phone call to his lawyer, drawing laughter with a nervousness that's hard not to notice. A member of the Vlog Squad, Wittek opened up last April about a stunt for Dobrik's channel that left him with fractures in his face and skull.

Though many fans rejoiced over the return of Dobrik's vlog, some were skeptical about his quick turnaround. "I love how not even 2 months ago people were canceling David dobrik and now all of a sudden everyone is so happy he posted again??????" tweeted one user.

Others morbidly joked about the dangerous situations the vlogger creates for his collaborators.

Representatives for David Dobrik did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.