<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="10022367" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jeff-wittek">Jeff Wittek</keyword> said in a new video that <keyword id="11001916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="toddy-smith">Toddy Smith</keyword> and <keyword id="11178238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="zane-hijazi">Zane Hijazi</keyword> "saved" his life.</li><li>The YouTuber was in an accident that injured his face when filming for <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword>'s vlogs.</li><li>"I'll never forget who my real friends are," he told Insider in an interview.</li></ul><p>YouTuber <a href="https://www.insider.com/jeff-wittek-eye-injury-david-dobrik-documentary-2021-4">Jeff Wittek revealed</a> that Vlog Squad members Toddy Smith and Zane Hijazi "saved his life" after he was injured swinging from an excavator controlled by <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-bretman-rock-vlog-squad-youtube-him-feel-irrelevant-2021-4">David Dobrik</a>, the leader of the Vlog Squad YouTube collective.</p><p>"I'll never forget who my real friends are," Wittek told Insider in a phone interview on Thursday.</p><p>Dobrik and his content group have recently come under fire. Seth Francois, a former member of the Vlog Squad, <a href="https://www.insider.com/seth-francois-accuses-jason-nash-vlog-squad-david-dobrik-assault-2021-2">accused Jason Nash of sexual assault</a> after a kissing "prank" for Dobrik's vlogs filmed in 2017, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3?_ga=2.13466679.1856399754.1619449952-2001543201.1619274252">an Insider investigation</a> unearthed allegations of sexual assault against former member Dominykas Zeglaitis, who is better known as Durte Dom.</p><p>The allegations have raised questions about the environment created by Dobrik and the Vlog Squad.</p><p>Now, Wittek is sharing how his June 2020 facial injury, which was visible in Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCE23hwAdh3/">photos of himself in the hospital at the time,</a> came to be. Wittek, who has nearly three million YouTube subscribers, said in an April 21 video that the injury came from bashing his face into the arm of an excavator at high speed while filming a video with Dobrik. </p><p>He left his followers in the dark about what happened to his eye for almost a year, after posting the pictures with a caption that said he "got in an accident and broke my face and skull in a few places,"<strong> </strong>before revealing the truth in a YouTube docuseries titled "Don't Try This at Home."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCE23hwAdh3" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Jeff Wittek (@jeff)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p> In a new video uploaded to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy1wDZJsFXRezAaNROLzXMw">his podcast YouTube channel</a> on Wednesday, the 31-year-old played the blurred video from 2020's excavator incident as he provided commentary about how his friends saved him after the gruesome accident. </p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x4M_6VQNA2g" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Wittek said in the video that he didn't understand why they were swinging on the excavator for Dobrik's vlog in the first place. "I didn't know what the point of this was," he said. "I thought it was just to go around slow, and we were gonna get the nice shot with the mountains."</p><p>When the video showed the moment he slammed into the arm of the excavator, he said, "At this moment, I screamed for my life." A loud thud is heard, and Wittek can be heard splashing into the lake.  </p><p>Wittek said that he gets emotional watching the part of the video where people run and save him. He said Smith, Hijazi, Scotty Sire, and Ilya Federovich all ran to rescue him. They put him on a raft to get him to shore as he was bleeding profusely.</p><p>Wittek said Hijazi gave him a shirt to stop the bleeding and spotted Smith also trying to help. "This moment means a lot to me," Wittek said in the video. "These guys literally saved my life."</p><p>He continued, "I'll never forget that. I'll never forget these moments."</p><p>In a previous installment of the series, released on Monday, Wittek said that he <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-vlog-squad-jeff-wittek-excavator-accident-resentment-2021-4">began to "resent" Dobrik</a> after the accident.</p><p>Hijazi and Smith did not immediately respond to requests for comment. </p>

Jeff Wittek said Toddy Smith and Zane Hijazi saved his life after he was injured swinging from an excavator

Who is the Vlog Squad? All of the current and former members of David Dobrik's YouTube group.

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5db31831dee01933f3735e6e-2400/8b6a9092.jpg" border="0" alt="Toddy Smith" data-mce-source="Toddy Smith"><p class="source"><span>Toddy Smith</span></p><p class="caption">Toddy Smith has 1.1 million subscribers on YouTube.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Toddy Smith has an audience of 2.5 million followers on Instagram (1.1 million on YouTube) and is</strong><strong> known online as a comedian, entertainer, and writer.</strong></li><li>Smith got his start on the defunct short-form video app, Vine, and from there met the Vine star David Dobrik, now a mega-popular YouTube creator.&#xa0;</li><li><strong>After Vine, Smith and his group began filming videos for YouTube and eventually dubbed themselves the "Vlog Squad."</strong></li><li>Since gaining a following online, Smith has expanded his brand into a business and has merchandise, a book, and also earns money through sponsorships, and as a brand ambassador for companies like Calvin Klein.</li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></strong></li></ul><p>Toddy Smith started off college in 2011&#xa0;as an average student, taking classes during the day and working night shifts as a bartender.</p><p>Smith said that at the time it seemed like everyone was obsessed with the newest social app, Vine (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/download-your-vine-videos-before-the-app-becomes-vine-camera-2017-1">the short-form video app shut down in 2017</a>).</p><p>After Smith's shift would end at work, around midnight, he would meet up with his friend Scotty Sire - now a popular YouTube star - at Sire's stepdad's bar to brainstorm video skit ideas for Vine.&#xa0;</p><p>"We weren't setting out to do anything crazy on the internet," Smith said. "We were just having fun with it, then ran with it and kept going."</p><p>Smith, 28, now has a massive following online, with 2.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.1 million subscribers on YouTube. He's known as an entertainer, comedian, and member of David Dobrik's popular YouTube group, the "Vlog Squad."</p><h2>Then came David Dobrik's YouTube Vlog Squad&#xa0;</h2><p>When Smith began to take Vine more seriously, he moved out to LA with Sire, and they moved in with other Viners. At that time, he still wasn't making significant money online. (He paid his first two months rent with gambling money he won in Vegas, he said.)</p><p>Through Vine, Smith had met Dobrik, Jason Nash (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JasonNashComedy">2 million YouTube subscribers</a>), Erin Gilfoy, and Carly Incontro (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8CB_Pf1REAZvz6007aKdqw">1.2 million subscribers</a>) - now some of YouTube's top creators.</p><p>"Everyone started vlogging," Smith said of his group of creator friends. "I think the vlogs are so special because they are pretty much who we are."</p><p>Smith's career really took off when he began to gain popularity on YouTube after posting his first video in 2015, a 2-minute comedy skit. And his group of friends has become a powerful force on YouTube. The group has dubbed themselves the "Vlog Squad," and are now among one of the most popular groups of creators on YouTube.&#xa0;</p><p>Dobrik is the center of the Vlog Squad, and some members tend to come and go, as new creators enter the mix. Each member has their own channel, and Dobrik's is the most popular with 14 million subscribers.&#xa0;</p><p>Smith said on an average day, he'll spend time editing his videos or writing, and then he'll see if anyone in the group (usually David) needs help with a video.&#xa0;</p><p>"I'll help them with their videos, vice versa," he said. "It's a lot of go, go, go. People are always filming, or David will text us 'be at my house in an hour.' We are all in it together, and I think being all together we are like a team or a cast."</p><p>Smith said being a member of the squad and creating videos with Dobrik has helped him grow his online business.&#xa0;</p><p>"It's been a huge turning point in my career," he said. "Creating different moments and memories that we will have forever has been cool and something I never thought I'd do." It's unclear whether the Vlog Squad is transactional and Smith declined to comment on if members are paid to appear in Dobrik's videos.&#xa0;</p><p>Smith is signed with a digital content studio, Collab, that works to expand his digital brand into a business, bringing him sponsorship and brand campaign opportunities.&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p><h2>From 6-second videos online, to brand deals and a book</h2><p>Smith said he began to consider social-media a full-time job three years ago, when he was 25, after he landed a brand deal with American Eagle.&#xa0;</p><p>"They paid me enough where I could pay my rent for a few months and really try to run with this gig full time," he said. "I thought it was a joke at first, I couldn't believe it. But, I was so happy to do it."</p><p>Social-media influencers like Smith earn their money by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-influencer-how-much-money-she-earns-from-sponsored-post-2019-10">promoting brands and products to followers</a>, and through <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-influencers-one-million-views-2019-7">ads placed on videos by Google</a>. How much money a creator will earn from a single YouTube video varies, but there are some factors that can help boost revenue like a video's watch time, length, and viewer demographic.</p><p>Smith didn't share how much he earns on YouTube, but previous creators similar to Smith in followers and views, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-influencers-one-million-views-2019-7">Shelby Church</a>, a YouTuber who has 1.2 million subscribers, shared with Business Insider how much she earns from a video with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-influencers-one-million-views-2019-7">1 million views</a> (between $2,000 and $5,000) and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-influencers-4-million-views-2019-9">4 million views</a> ($15,000), which shows how lucrative a YouTube career can be.&#xa0;&#xa0;</p><p>Smith has expanded his digital business to selling merchandise and has become a brand ambassador for companies like Calvin Klein, which he promotes through campaigns on social <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword>.</p><p>Smith also has a book, titled "I'll Give You a Dollar If You Consider This Art," which is coauthored by writer Darren Nuzzo<strong>.</strong> The book features short stories, comics, and scanned copies of one-page entries from their journals.</p><p>"We want to be considered artists, writers, that's why we came up with the title," he said. "We really want to connect with people on a deeper level, through inspiration or just something they can enjoy."&#xa0;</p><hr><p><strong>For more on how to become a successful influencer, according to YouTube and Instagram stars, check out these Business Insider <keyword id="46801" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="prime">Prime</keyword> posts:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-student-sienna-santer-became-youtube-star-sharing-college-life-2019-11">A Harvard student with 265,000 YouTube subscribers breaks down how much money she earns as a college influencer</a>: Sienna Santer is a second-year Harvard student and a YouTube influencer with 265,000 subscribers.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-one-million-views-2019-10">A YouTube star and active-duty US Navy sailor shares how much money a video with 1 million views makes him</a>: Austen Alexander is an active-duty sailor for the US Navy and a&#xa0;popular YouTube influencer with 135,000 subscribers.&#xa0;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-youtube-pays-creators-one-hundred-thousand-views-2019-9">YouTube creator Natalie Barbu breaks down how much money she earns from a video with 100,000 views</a>: Natalie Barbu, a social-media influencer and YouTube creator with 227,000 subscribers, shared how much money she earns from a video with 100,000 views.&#xa0;</li></ul><div>    <iframe src="//instagram.com/p/BwKbcBBn22E/embed/" width="540" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true">    </iframe></div><div>    <iframe src="//instagram.com/p/B3JE5aUnBcG/embed/" width="540" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true">    </iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/safest-walk-ice-penguin-2017-2">The safest way to walk on ice is to impersonate a penguin</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/1Owa3Ngp-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div></hr>

YouTube star Toddy Smith takes us inside his influencer business and what it's like to be in David Dobrik's Vlog Squad

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Morgan Gottowski posted a <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> on July 31 appearing to show her partying with the <keyword id="9054585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vlog-squad">Vlog Squad</keyword>.</li><li>A few days later, however, she gave an "update" saying she had <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>.</li><li>She posted another TikTok on Wednesday asking <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword> to send her food.</li></ul><p>A TikToker who goes by the name Morgan Gottowski says she had COVID-19 days after partying with David Dobrik and the Vlog Squad.</p><p>Gottowski posted a TikTok on July 31 that appeared to show her at a <keyword id="56" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Party">party</keyword>. In the background, it appeared David Dobrik, Toddy Smith, Zane Hijazi, and Scotty Sire were in attendance, all of whom are part of Dobrik's YouTube collective, the Vlog Squad.</p><p>Gottowski posted a follow-up video Wednesday on her account <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsscaptainmorgan?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1p=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@itsscaptainmorgan</a>. She showed her original video and added, "Update: I now have covid."</p><p>She tagged Dobrik, Smith, and Sire in the TikTok and asked "can u at least send me food. im hungary and can't leave."</p><p>Despite videos featuring the Vlog Squad often going viral, Gottowski's initial TikTok was viewed only about 900 times. Her latest one had about 500 views at the time of publication.</p><p>Insider has reached out to Gottowski but did not immediately receive a response. Dobrik, Smith, and Sire also did not respond to requests for comment.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsscaptainmorgan/video/6994917118991027461" data-video-id="6994917118991027461" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@itsscaptainmorgan" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsscaptainmorgan">@itsscaptainmorgan</a> <p><a title="duet" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/duet">##duet</a> with @itsscaptainmorgan @daviddobrik  can u at least send me food. im hungary and can’t leave. @scottysire  @toddysmith  <a title="vlogsquad" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/vlogsquad">##vlogsquad</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Dancing Queen - A Tribute to ABBA" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Dancing-Queen-6694682396127660033">♬ Dancing Queen - A Tribute to ABBA</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>The Vlog Squad has been on the receiving end of much criticism in the past months since sexual-assault allegations came out <a href="https://www.insider.com/seth-francois-accuses-jason-nash-vlog-squad-david-dobrik-assault-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">against Dobrik's friend Jason Nash</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3?_ga=2.55248299.1869707535.1619431523-1934612651.1583486775" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former member Durte Dom</a>.</p><p>Critics have also suggested that Dobrik may have put his friends in uncomfortable, unpleasant, or <a href="https://www.insider.com/nick-jonah-antonyan-david-dobrik-moped-vlog-squad-stunt-video-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even dangerous situations for entertainment</a> and that sometimes it went too far, such as when the Vlog Squad member <a href="https://www.insider.com/david-dobrik-vlog-squad-jeff-wittek-excavator-accident-resentment-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeff Wittek was severely injured</a> while taking part in an excavator stunt.</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/culture"><strong>For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team.</strong></a></p>

A TikToker asked David Dobrik to send her food, saying she got COVID-19 after partying with the Vlog Squad

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="10022367" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jeff-wittek">Jeff Wittek</keyword> has nearly three million subscribers on <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword>.</li><li>A stunt gone awry while filming a <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword> vlog in 2020 nearly killed him. </li><li>Wittek, who is now the highest-paid 18+ account on Patreon, says he started out selling marijuana.</li></ul><p>Jeff Wittek has lived an action-filled life over the course of his 31 years.</p><p>The YouTuber with nearly three million subscribers has been arrested on charges of selling drugs in Miami, made a lucrative career as an influencer barber, joined the hugely popular Vlog Squad, and had his skull cracked open during an outlandish stunt.</p><p>Looking through Wittek's timeline, you get an idea of a thrill-seeker with a business-focused attitude that can sometimes get him into trouble. </p><p>Over the past couple of months, Wittek has evolved from a background character in David Dobrik's vlogs to a massive influencer in his own right. After releasing four parts of his documentary series on YouTube, he's shown a new side to fans, who are gobbling it up.  </p><p>He has over 38,000 <a href="https://www.patreon.com/JeffWittek">patrons on his Patreon</a>, gaining 37,000 of them in the past 10 days and making him the top 18+ creator on the site. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Jeff Wittek  (@jeffwittek) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1387591859124330499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2021</a></blockquote><h2><strong>Wittek</strong> says he <strong>sold drugs before becoming a content creator </strong></h2><p>In the first episode of his YouTube series "Don't Try This at Home," Wittek said that as a child growing up on New York's Staten Island, he "always wanted to be a baseball player" and that he "grew up dirt poor."  As a teenager, he learned how to cut hair and by 16 was making "$1,500 a week" as a barber, he said. </p><p>"I didn't love school and loved the idea of making fast money," Wittek said in the April 18 video. "I would cut school and go hang out at the barbershop."</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/msWUXM-GQXk" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>In the video, Wittek claims that he sold "anything he could get" his "hands on," and said he was arrested multiple times for selling marijuana. He eventually moved to Miami, where he said he met "bigger criminals."</p><p>In 2011, when he was 21, he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, illegal drug trafficking, possession of cocaine, and possession of a controlled substance, according to Florida arrest records reviewed by Insider. Those charges were later dropped.</p><p>Wittek said in the video he managed to get those charges dropped due to a "technicality" because the police officers who searched his penthouse to find the narcotics didn't have a warrant. </p><p>"15 years I was supposed to do was gone," Wittek said. "I would still be in jail to this day and now I was free to go." </p><h2><strong>He started to associate with Viners in LA in 2014 </strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="jeff wittek mac miller" height="375" width="500" msid="82336193" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>After his run-in with the law in Miami, Wittek decided to move to Los Angeles to buy marijuana in bulk and send it back to New York City, according to his account of events in the April 18 video.</p><p>At the same time, Wittek was also growing his brand as an influencer and a barber, starting his YouTube channel in 2011. In 2012, he started a Tumblr blog called <a href="https://behindthecuts-blog.tumblr.com/">"Behind The Cuts,"</a> where he posted images with celebrities like Pauly D, Mac Miller, and ASAP Rocky. That year, he started to post more frequently on Instagram, sharing photos of haircuts and lavish parties.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/bmWyU7xtin" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Jeff Wittek (@jeff)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>According to publicly available housing records, in 2014, Wittek moved<strong> </strong>into 1600 Vine, an apartment complex in Hollywood that was known at the time for housing stars of the now-defunct Vine app like Jake Paul, King Bach, and Lele Pons. There, he would appear in sketches with other Vine stars, becoming friends with influencers like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rudymancuso/">Rudy Mancuso</a>.</p><p>In 2015, he started dating actress <a href="https://www.distractify.com/p/jeff-wittek-ex-girlfriend">Cierra Ramirez</a> after meeting her at a club in Los Angeles (though their relationship <a href="https://edailybuzz.com/2019/05/23/why-did-jeff-wittek-break-up-with-cierra-ramirez-who-is-jeff-dating-now/">ended in 2018)</a>. Wittek would also pursue his own small career in acting, appearing in two YouTube short films in 2016. </p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qhb5kk8fvbs" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Wittek first met Toddy Smith, a Vlog Squad member, in 2017 in New York City at an American Express brand deal event. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yJWRfrPOPk">In a video on Smith's channel</a>, Wittek says the pair were "drunk out of their minds" and that they "bonded instantly over alcohol."</p><p>With his influencer friends and hair-cutting prowess, Wittek would start his "Jeff's Barbershop" series to create long-form content for YouTube. </p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C6alpYZAH-0" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>He made his first appearance in Dobrik's vlogs in November 2018 when the cops pulled over a car he was driving. </p><p>"On our first interaction, I didn't plan on vlogging with him, I was hanging out with Todd and David showed up," Wittek <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msWUXM-GQXk&amp;t=633s633s">said in the first part of his YouTube video series</a>.</p><h2><strong>Appearing in Dobrik's vlogs helped Wittek become famous </strong></h2><p>Wittek appeared in many of Dobrik's videos over the course of 2018 and 2019, though most of those vlogs have since been deleted.</p><p>"Jeff's Barbershop" would grow into a massive platform, bringing in some of the internet's top talent alongside other members of the Vlog Squad. Brand deals with Old Spice and appearances from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t1-WD-Busg">Jason Nash</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SJTG9TAiVs">Rudy Mancuso, </a>and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_5h1xxNkP4">Cody Ko</a> would pull in millions of views. His October 2019 haircut with Dobrik is still the most popular on his channel, with over 12 million views.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BDxNGTAYZww" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>According to <a href="https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/jeffzilla3000">SocialBlade</a>, a social-media analytics website, in November of 2018, Wittek's YouTube channel was gaining under 5,000 subscribers a month. In February 2019, he gained over 220,000 subscribers. </p><p>When the pandemic essentially put a stop to Dobrik's vlogs, Wittek pushed the limits of himself and his brand. In the second part of his "Don't Try This at Home" series, he explained that Dobrik wanted to do a stunt that involved jumping out of an airplane 25 times for his vlog. </p><p>"When I'm the least comfortable, I'm the most happy," Wittek said in the video. "I like the chaos."</p><p>After conquering that challenge, Dobrik raised the stakes. He brought many of the members of the Vlog Squad to Utah and acquired an excavator, spinning it around with members attached. Wittek held on while Dobrik swung him around, eventually crashing into the metal arm and injuring him badly. </p><p>"I was in a lot of pain, I tore some ligaments in my leg, I broke my foot, I broke my hip, I shattered my skull in nine places, I shattered my eye socket and I almost died," Wittek said in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_KasvQNm-Y">third part of his "Don't Try This at Home" YouTube series</a>.</p><p>Over the course of that year, Wittek would continue making barbershop videos with his injury around his eye visible. Just five days after the accident, he filmed his video with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP9BMszgwKo">TikTok star Dixie D'Amelio</a>, joking that he "legally" can't say what happened because he has "a big lawsuit in the works." Wittek told viewers in an April 26 video that he started to feel more depressed about his situation as he wasn't able to work out or rely on his good looks.</p><h2>Wittek tried to distance himself from the Vlog Squad after a former member was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a party in 2018</h2><p>In March 2021, Insider published an article <a href="https://www.insider.com/vlog-squad-durte-dom-rape-allegation-david-dobrik-zeglaitis-video-2021-3">that included an allegation that one of the former members of Dobrik's Vlog Squad had sexually assaulted a woman at a party</a>. In that article, Wittek denied buying alcohol for minors at the party. In a video on March 21 (that has since been deleted), Wittek continued to deny that he bought the liquor and attempted to discredit the Insider report.</p><p>In a subsequent interview on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XCZ-t5e-fI">"Frenemies" podcast</a> with Trisha Paytas and Ethan Klein on March 21, Wittek said he did not read the entirety of the article before creating the video.</p><p>Five days after the podcast interview, Wittek released another response video, this time apologizing to the Insider reporter and acknowledging he may have handled the situation poorly.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2YqGx2GpwVw" frameborder="0"></iframe><h2>Wittek continues to make content on his Patreon and YouTube</h2><p>Wittek has published four parts of his YouTube documentary series, each one pulling in millions of views in under a week.</p><p>His Patreon has exploded in popularity as public sentiment around Wittek has shifted his popularity. In a Twitter post on April 27, Wittek wrote that it "feels great to share this stuff with y'all," and "you guys literally saved my life." </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Jeff Wittek  (@jeffwittek) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1387101250324365313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

How the Vlog Squad's Jeff Wittek found fame through controversy, from his 'drug dealer' past to the David Dobrik accident

<ul class="summary-list"><li>YouTuber and former Vine star Scotty Sire is releasing two new singles in one week. </li><li>"I never would have in a million years thought that I would be making <keyword id="6354530" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="music">music</keyword>," Sire told Insider in a phone interview. </li><li>His path follows similar moves from YouTubers like <a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-tana-mongeau-interview-paris-hilton-gen-z-playlist-live-2020-3">Tana Mongeau</a> and <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/24/troye-sivans-coming-of-age">Troye Sivan</a> who also leveraged their large followings in bids for pop <keyword id="24504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="culture">culture</keyword> success. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>On Scotty Sire's latest single "<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5WLgKOmiLJQ3b86fwmtywi">Samurai</a>," which debuted April 22, the Vine star turned YouTuber turned musician seems to have some beef. </p><p>"If I don't like you and you know it go away," Sire raps over a catchy beat with EDM and hip hop influences. "Yes, your mere existence is a shame. I was smiling when I woke up but you wiped it off my face." </p><p>Another new single, "<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1tBsKXCq1vfpXnaB7Kt7SZ?highlight=spotify:track:10dloEtxbMUx8JgAK2zVob">Men Are Trash</a>," which was released on days earlier on April 20, is a pop dance track with lyrics that are just as confident. "I'll be a bad boy who's always good to his girl," Sire sings on the song's refrain. </p><p>The artist's younger self would be surprised. As a shy kid, a future with millions of social media followers, two albums, and two nationwide concert tours was far from visible. "I never would have in a million years thought that I would be making music," Sire told Insider over the phone. </p><p>The 28-year-old's path to making original music has been untraditional and largely due to his huge success as a social media personality. "I know that I owe the people who follow me a lot, because they're the ones that are listening to the music," he said. "It's not always necessary because it's good music, but it's because they like the other things that I'm doing on the internet." </p><h2><strong>Sire's rise to social media stardom started with Vine, before the app folded in 2016. </strong></h2><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b-ip6MXTmh8" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Sire was one of the more prolific creators on the now-defunct video platform Vine, founding the so-called "<keyword id="9054585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vlog-squad">Vlog Squad</keyword>" with <keyword id="9054586" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-dobrik">David Dobrik</keyword>, Zane Hijazi, Heath Hussar, Toddy Smith, and others. When the app shut down at the end of 2016, Sire successfully moved his audience to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/imnotscottysire">YouTube</a>, where he now has 2.97 million followers. </p><p>He also has more than three million <a href="https://www.instagram.com/scottysire/">Instagram</a> followers and two million <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@scottysire?lang=en">TikTok followers</a>, and is using the short-form video app to spread his music, too. With dancer-influencer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mariahamato/">Mariah Amato</a>, he made a dance to go along with "Samurai," a recent trend artists have successfully used to <a href="https://www.insider.com/billboard-hot-100-tiktok-dance-challenge-drake-doja-cat-weeknd-2020-4">boost the popularity and reach of their music.</a></p><p>His <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> videos are mostly vlog-style and comedic videos, and he often collaborates with his friends from the Vlog Squad. "I love being involved in the Vlog Squad, and being a part of my group of friends because everyone's great," Sire said.</p><p>Sire wasn't a kid who grew up watching YouTube videos, and now, he mostly just watches Dobrik's famous vlogs. Still, if he could collaborate with anyone on the platform, he said it would be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dasani-water-salt-controversy-shane-dawson-video-2020-4">Shane Dawson,</a> who's pivoted from sketch comedy to conspiracy theory shorts to documentaries to makeup videos. </p><h2><strong>Actors like Jim Carrey inspired him as a shy child to dream of becoming an entertainer. </strong></h2><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sxxQIZVTlPU" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Growing up in Newport Beach, California, Sire was a "super shy kid," he said. But he found solace and inspiration in comedic performers like Jim Carrey. "I remember reading something about Jim Carrey being a really a shy kid, and so he was kind of an idol for me because he was such a great actor," Sire said. "And I was like, 'well, if he was really shy but he can do this on camera and be so funny, then maybe I can do that, too.' And so that's what I tried to do." </p><p>"I did always want to do something entertainment-wise. I remember when I was younger I [thought], 'maybe I'll be an actor when I'm older.' But I was also a super, super shy kid, but it's fun to play up a role on screen because I'm so mellow in-person." </p><p>He's certainly found his outlet for <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword> on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and with his music, but Sire said he isn't rushing to make any films just yet. "I would go out and audition for something if it felt like a good fit for me, but I wouldn't really go out of my way," he said. </p><h2><strong>He found his passion for music on accident — but now, he likes it more than YouTube. </strong></h2><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wjz3A3-qBwk" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Sire had never tried his hand at music until a friend invited him over to record a song a few years ago, and Sire surprised him with having a good voice. "It just kind of happened," he said. </p><p>He independently released his first album, "Ruin Your Party," in 2018, and his second album, "What's Going On," in 2019. Sire credits bands like 21 Pilots, Blink 182, and Panic! at the Disco for inspiring his own music, though he said he likes to do his own thing and not stick to one style. "I just really like the freedom to make whatever I want, which is what's fun about being an independent artist," he said, adding that he co-writes all of his songs with his producing partners. </p><p>Recently, Sire says he's felt like more of a musician than a YouTuber, despite having found most of his fans on the platform. "I love YouTube and I love creating content, and that's what I think the people that follow me really like to see. But, I have more fun with music, and I'm more passionate about making a song than I am to make a new YouTube video," he said. Still, Sire said he wouldn't just walk away from his YouTube career.</p><p>"I would never stop filming with other people or making my own videos as well because I also really enjoy that," he said. "And I just like doing whatever I enjoy. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do both things." </p><h2><strong>The influencer-to-musician path is increasingly popular, as aspiring musicians can use their online fame to gain listeners. </strong></h2><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BbhZavOi7ms" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Sire's path towards music follows similar moves from YouTubers like <a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-tana-mongeau-interview-paris-hilton-gen-z-playlist-live-2020-3">Tana Mongeau,</a> <a href="https://www.insider.com/ksi-new-rap-music-poppin-youtuber-boxing-jake-logan-paul-2020-4">KSI</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/elijah-daniel-lil-phag-profile-final-tour-adam-steve-stannable-2020-2">Elijah Daniel</a>, and <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/24/troye-sivans-coming-of-age">Troye Sivan</a> who all leveraged their large followings in bids for pop culture success. And Ava Louise, the influencer who <a href="https://www.insider.com/ava-louise-coronavirus-challenge-influencer-licked-airplane-toilet-seat-2020-3">went viral for licking an airplane toilet seat</a> during the coronavirus pandemic, has said she only took to TikTok to promote her new music. The tactic seemed to work, as her song "Skinny Legend Anthem" has amassed 1.5 million Spotify listeners. </p><p>While Mongeau, who also released new music this week, remains a popular social media star, Sivan has transformed into a pop culture icon. </p><p>Though Sire might enjoy making music more than YouTube videos, he said he's not planning on moving towards music full-time. "I don't think that I could ever just leave it," he said of YouTube. "And if I did, I think I would be disappointed in myself for giving up on what I was doing before that made people happier." </p><p>But Sire said he believes the power of social media has evened the playing field for more singers to independently release their music. "I think that traditionally it was like, you could be a really, really great singer, and you'd go in somewhere and you'd have to be chosen to get songs made for you," Sire said. Now, thanks to social media, he said that "anyone has a chance in the industry to do something with music." </p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-tana-mongeau-interview-paris-hilton-gen-z-playlist-live-2020-3">YouTuber Tana Mongeau is Gen Z's Paris Hilton, redefining tabloid stardom for today's teens</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/youtube-breakups-power-couple-splits-drama-2020-2">16 YouTuber breakups that rocked the internet and created an entirely new genre of emotional video</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-david-dobriks-vlog-squad-with-youtube-video-editor-ughitsjoe-2020-1">A YouTube video editor who works with David Dobrik's Vlog Squad told us what it's like to film top creators, from private jets to quick turnarounds</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-dobrik-net-worth-youtube-career-vine-liza-koshy-2019-9">The rise of David Dobrik, a 23-year-old YouTuber worth over $7 million who got his start making 6-second videos</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/scotty-sire-new-music-vlog-squad-rapper-interview-2020-4">Insider</a>

You Searched For "toddy smith" and got 6 results

Jeff Wittek said Toddy Smith and Zane Hijazi saved his life after he was injured swinging from an excavator

Moises Mendez II

Who is the Vlog Squad? All of the current and former members of David Dobrik's YouTube group.

Moises Mendez II

YouTube star Toddy Smith takes us inside his influencer business and what it's like to be in David Dobrik's Vlog Squad

Amanda Perelli

A TikToker asked David Dobrik to send her food, saying she got COVID-19 after partying with the Vlog Squad

Lindsay Dodgson

How the Vlog Squad's Jeff Wittek found fame through controversy, from his 'drug dealer' past to the David Dobrik accident

Steven Asarch

How the Vlog Squad's Scotty Sire went from being a 'super shy kid' to finding millions of fans as a YouTuber and musician

Rachel E. Greenspan