YouTube star David Dobrik steps down from board of Dispo amid sex assault claims against a member of his Vlog Squad
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YouTube star David Dobrik is stepping down from the board of Dispo, the app he co-founded, amid allegations of sexual assault against a member of his Vlog Squad.
In a statement obtained by USA TODAY, Dispo confirmed Dobrik was leaving his position on the board.
"David has chosen to step down from the board and leave the company to not distract from the company's growth," reads the statement. "Dispo's team, product, and most importantly – our community – stand for building a diverse, inclusive, and empowering world."
Earlier Monday, venture capital firm Spark Capital released a statement on Twitter saying it planned to "sever all ties" with Dispo.
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"We have stepped down from our position on the board and we are in the process of making arrangements to ensure we do not profit from our recent investment in Dispo," reads the statement from Spark Capital.
Companies such as HelloFresh and Dollar Shave Club, which sponsored Dobrik's work, have said they will no longer work with him, The New York Times reports.
1/ In light of recent news about the Vlog Squad and David Dobrik, the cofounder of Dispo, we have made the decision to sever all ties with the company.
— Spark Capital (@sparkcapital) March 22, 2021
The decisions follow a Business Insider report detailing the account of a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a member of the Vlog Squad, a group of YouTubers established by Dobrik.
Dobrik did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. On March 16, Dobrik posted a video on the YouTube channel for his podcast Views to "address some conversations that have been going on on the internet."
"I've grown as a content creator and as a person, and I don't agree with some of the videos I've posted," Dobrik said.
As for people he no longer films with for his channel, Dobrik said: "I don't align with some of the actions, and I don't stand for any kind of misconduct. I've been really disappointed with some of my friends, and for that reason I've separated from a lot of them."
In a second video posted early Tuesday to his main channel, Dobrik said he "fully believes" the woman who made the claims.
"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," said Dobrik. "I did not know this before. It was completely wrong, and I wish I was more responsible, and I wish I was more aware at the time, and I'm so sorry I missed that."
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: David Dobrik Vlog Squad sex assault claims lead him to vacate Dispo board
