David Dobrik quits app after associate accused of rape

YouTube star David Dobrik has stepped down from an app he co-founded, following a rape allegation about his former associate.

One woman who appeared in a video on Mr Dobrik’s channel says she was raped by another person involved during filming.

Mr Dobrik, who has almost 19 million subscribers on the platform, denies any wrongdoing.

But the claim has led brands and investors to "sever ties" with the influencer.

Mr Dobrik rose to fame through prank videos, sometimes in collaboration with a number of other YouTubers called the Vlog Squad.

During the coronavirus pandemic, he stepped back from posting regularly on YouTube, in order to launch his own photo app Dispo.

A recent investigation published by Kat Tenbarge at the business news website Insider, detailed the woman’s account of rape in 2018 by a - now former - Vlog Squad member.

'Sever all ties'

Since the claims, support for the app and Mr Dobrik has collapsed.

Venture capital firm and a leading investor in the app, Spark Capital, announced it would “sever all ties” with the company.

Mr Dobrik then announced he would step down from the board of Dispo “to not distract from the company’s growth,” the Information news site reported.

As a YouTube influencer, Mr Dobrik made millions of dollars through sponsorship deals.

Hello Fresh, EA Sports and HBO Max are among brands to have dropped him.