David Dobrik’s former friend and collaborator is suing the YouTube star over a near-death stunt that landed him in the hospital in 2020.
Jeff Wittek is seeking $10 million in damages to cover the cost of lost wages and earning capacity, as well hospital bills he attained as a result of the accident, according to TMZ.
The Jeff FM podcaster, 32, alleged in the lawsuit that Dobrik, 25, had been operating an excavator that was placed in the ocean for a stunt in June 2020, and asked his pals to swing from the machine using a rope while simultaneously riding several objects.
Wittek said when it was his turn to go, Dobrik allegedly began swinging the excavator too fast, which caused him to slam into it and get seriously injured, according to TMZ.
The social media star did not detail his injuries in the lawsuit, but previously spoke about them in a Feb. 25, 2022 video on his YouTube channel titled, “Dear David.”
“I nearly died. I came an inch from death and an inch from going blind. I’ll have life-long brain injuries,” Wittek claimed in the episode.
He added, “I’m not trying to lecture people. It’s just an emotional thing. I had my face smashed in and the one thing I asked from him was to not blame me for it.”
Leaked footage of the accident shows Wittek crashing into the crane and subsequently falling into the water before his friends rush to his aid and shout, “Call the ambulance!”
In March, Dobrik called Wittek’s accident the “f–king worst.”
“That day is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. I would f—ing do anything to take that day back,” he said on his “Views” video podcast.
“I wish it was me up there. It’s the most unfortunate thing ever. And it’s s–tty — it’s an accident. That’s what it was. It’s an accident.”
Wittek and Dobrik did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment on the lawsuit.
