David Dobrik, who has tens of millions of followers on YouTube, TikTok and other social networks, stepped down on Sunday as a board member of the Dispo app to share photos. His departure came about a week after Insider reported allegations of a woman who said she had been sexually assaulted in 2018 by a former member of Dobrik’s influential group of friends known as the ‘Vlog Squad’.
“David has chosen to step down from the board of directors and leave the company so as not to be distracted from the company’s growth,” Dispo said in a statement to various media outlets. “The Dispo team, product and especially our community are all about building a diverse, inclusive and empowering world.”
Dobrik and Dispo did not immediately respond to requests for comment from CNN Business. In a YouTube video responding to the Insider report last week, Dobrik apologized for disappointing his fans. “I’m not faced with any wrongdoing,” Dobrik said. ‘I am very disappointed by some of my friends. And for that reason I have been separated from many of them. ‘
Launched initially in invite-only mode, Dispo mimics the experience of using a disposable camera. Users take a photo and return the next morning to see if it can be “developed” with a retro filter. The app also has a social aspect and lets you follow other users.
Hours before Dobrik stepped down on Sunday, one of Dispo’s top investors, Spark Capital, said it had decided to “cut all ties with the company” over the reports of the social media star and the Vlog Squad. The remarkable move comes a month after Spark Capital led Dispo’s $ 20 million round of funding at a reported valuation of $ 200 million.
“We have stepped down from the board of directors and we are in the process of making arrangements to ensure that we do not capitalize on our recent investment in Dispo,” said Spark Capital tweeted
On Monday, Seven Seven Six, a fund founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, said it would donate all profits from its investment in Dispo to an unspecified organization working with survivors of sexual assault.
“We have been working closely with Dispo over the past week and fully support their decision to part with David”, Seven Seven Six said on Twitter. “We have believed in Dispo’s mission since its inception and will continue to support the hardworking team to bring it to life.”
In the days following the allegations, brands like Dollar Shave Club, DoorDash and Hello Fresh dropped sponsorship deals with Dobrik, according to Insider.