David Dobrik Reveals How His Parents *Really* Feel About His YouTube Fame
When it comes to YouTube super-stardom, David Dobrik is at the top of his game. He started out in 2013 as a fun-loving Viner, and when he migrated over to YouTube in 2015, his following only grew. Since then, his YouTube channel has gained 16.7 million subscribers, and his ultra-famous friend group has been dubbed The Vlog Squad. He racks up 10 million views per video on average, boasts cameos from mega-stars like Justin Bieber and Kylie Jenner on his channel, and he's even landed an appearance on Jimmy Fallon. At this point, Dobrik is not only a YouTube star — he's a bonafide celebrity. But at 23 years old, Dobrik's whirlwind success came as a surprise to his family. David Dobrik's quotes about his parents' feelings toward his YouTube fame reveal how far he's come.
Dobrik is the first to admit his parents had some major questions when he first embarked on his YouTube journey. "I think my family is just constantly confused [about] what's going on," he tells Elite Daily. "I remember the first couple years I started doing this they were kind of like 'OK, what's going on?'"
Their biggest reservation about Dobrik's line of work was one most 20-somethings have heard from their parents: Could he actually make a sustainable living from vlogging? "At first, they were like, 'You need to stop doing this and go back to school.' They were a little bit scared it was a fluke," he explains.
Over time, though, they grew to accept his unconventional career, and are much more understanding of it now. "I think they're a little more comfortable with it," Dobrik says. "They're like 'OK, maybe he can support himself.' I think they're happy."
Dobrik recalls one specific memory that proved his parents were completely on-board with his vlogging career. It's not uncommon to see famous actors, singers, and fellow YouTubers on his channel, but one celeb in particular had his family completely starstruck.
"They get really excited when I collaborate with people they're familiar with. I always get a text from them like, 'I can't believe you just did a podcast with Anna Faris, I love her!' So, they're having fun," Dobrik says about their reaction to his March 2020 Unqualified podcast with Faris.
Dobrik himself is still processing the magnitude of his fame. He's had a few "pinch me" moments along the way, including that time he met his late-night TV hero Jimmy Fallon.
"That was definitely a moment where I was like, 'This is nuts,'" he says about his Jan. 21 appearance on the The Tonight Show. "[That show] was the one thing I watched with my family that we'd always have on. It would always feel so cool to sit there and watch it with them when I was younger, and they wouldn't make me go to bed as long as I was watching [it]. So, that was my ticket to staying up. I watched it all the time, and it was so crazy being on the other side of it."
Grappling with fame is hard enough, but it's harder without a strong support system behind you. Thankfully, Dobrik's parents support has only gotten stronger through the years, and they're behind him 100%. And, hey, they've even received a few perks along the way.
Dobrik's affinity for gifting fans with cars doesn't exclude his dad, who he gifted with a brand new car in August 2018.
