David Dobrik’s assistant Natalie Mariduena has spoken out on Twitter amid a wave of allegations facing the Vlog Squad and David himself.
The YouTuber and the Vlog Squad have been met with a number of serious controversies. The majority of these include sexual assault allegations leveled against former Vlog Squad star Dominykas Zeglaitis, better known as ‘Durte Dom,’ dating back to a video in late 2018.
Dobrik released a seven-minute video in response on March 22 – his second apology so far. “I fully believe the woman that came out against Dom and said she was sexually assaulted by him,” he said.
In the video he revealed he would be “taking a short break” from social media. “It doesn’t feel right to go back to posting how I had been, and it doesn’t feel right to go dark because I love what I do. But I feel like it’s important to show that change is possible and I’m learning. Maybe even forgiveness is possible,” he said.
David Dobrik faced a range of allegations related to bullying and sexual misconduct.After the allegations against Durte Dom surfaced in March, Dobrik was accused of fostering a toxic workplace on his channel. He has been accused by former YouTube co-workers of creating an atmosphere that left them feeling “worthless” and “traumatized.”
Natalie responds
Natalie Mariduena is Dobrik’s best friend, assistant, and is dating fellow Vlog Squad member Toddy Smith. As someone central to the group, it was only a matter of time before she was required to speak out on the matter.
In a post on Twitter, she wrote: “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the recent allegations, and because of the severity, it’s taken me time to process. Like many of you, I’m upset and angry and do not condone the behavior detailed in the article or any sexual misconduct/abuse for that matter. I want to make it clear that I acknowledge, hear and support those who came forward and I stand by the victims.”
— Natalie Mariduena (@natalinanoel) March 23, 2021
The backlash has resulted in Dobrik losing sponsorships with companies such as Electronic Arts and HBO, and efforts to ‘review bomb’ his Dispo app.
On March 22, he also left Dispo to “not distract” from the app’s growth. Meanwhile, Dobrik continues to lose huge numbers of followers.
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