David Dobrik, who has tens of millions of followers on YouTube, TikTok and other social networks, resigned from the board of the photo-sharing app Dispo on Sunday. His departure came about a week after Insider reported allegations of a woman saying she was sexually assaulted in 2018 by a former member of Dobrik’s influential group of friends known as the ‘Vlog Squad’.
“David has chosen to resign from the board and leave the company so as not to distract from the company’s growth,” Dispo said in a statement to several media outlets. “Dispo’s team, product and most importantly – our community – stand for 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 apologizes for letting his fans down. “I do not stand for any form of misconduct,” Dobrik said. “I was really disappointed by some of my friends. And that’s why I divorced a lot of them.”
Dispo, initially launched in invitation mode, mimics the experience of using a disposable camera. Users take a photo and then check again the next morning to see if it can “develop” with a retro filter. The app also has a social aspect and lets you follow other users.
One of Dispo’s best investors, Spark Capital, said hours before Dobrik retired on Sunday that he had decided to sever all ties with the company due to reports about the social media star and the Vlog group. The remarkable move comes one month after Spark Capital Dispo’s $ 20 million funding round led to an estimated valuation of $ 200 million.
“We have resigned from our position on the board and we are in the process of making arrangements to ensure that we do not benefit from our recent investment in Dispo,” said Spark Capital. tweeted.
On Monday, Seven Seven Six, a fund set up by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, said it would donate any profits from its investment in Dispo to an unspecified organization working with survivors of sexual assault.
“We have been working closely with Dispo for the past week and are fully supportive of their decision to divorce David,” Seven Seven Six said on Twitter. “We have believed in Dispo’s mission from the beginning and will continue to support the hard – working team that makes it come alive.”
According to Insider, brands, including Dollar Shave Club, DoorDash and Hello Fresh, dropped bail deals with Dobrik in the days following the allegations.