It showed more about the lead-up to the accident, including clips of Wittek and two friends and fellow Vlog Squad members, Natalie Noel and Todd Smith, learning to skydive. A post shared by Jeff Wittek (@jeff) Early life [ edit] Wittek was born in Staten Island, New York, where he attended Susan E. Wagner High School. He said Smith, Hijazi, Scotty Sire, and Ilya Federovich all ran to rescue him. "I'll never forget who my real friends are," Wittek told Insider in a phone interview on Thursday. He shared no further details of the incident, aside from that it was caused while shooting a vlog. "This moment means a lot to me," Wittek said in the video. I got in an accident and broke my face and skull in a few places. Wittek claims hesuffered"a myriad of injuries" includinga broken skull, facial fractures and eye damage -- somethingWittek discussed in his2021 YouTube docuseries,Don't Try This at Home, where heshared more details about the incident. He pulls in the dough, ghosts his friends when things go bad, and skips out on tough bits for content. Offers may be subject to change without notice. But he did share a photo of him with a bruised, purple eye and another while in hospital. 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. So I grabbed the f---ing rope and I tried to make a goddamn funny video for people. Be the first one to comment on this story. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories, Dobrik has also maintained that the stunt was Wittek's idea. In a YouTube video titled My Truth, Jeff talks about an Insider article written about him. Then on June 30, he explained that he had not been able to post pictures of his hair because he had gotten into a serious accident. Wittek said in the YouTube documentary. David Dobrik was swinging Jeff Wittek around while driving the excavator with ONE hand. Another day of being accused of child abuse because I dont want my almost-5-year-old to get hungry while shes at school for six hours. Hes always been irresponsible at his friends expense for YOUTUBE videos. However, he decided to keep the details a secret. He said he has had "a couple of eye surgeries" but "wanted to keep that part of my life private". With his sexual assault scandal still fresh in people's minds, it doesn't look like David Dobrik's going to get a break anytime soon. I forgot that the biggest f****** idiot I know was driving it.". I would f---ing do anything to take that day back.". My entire life. "I think one of the main reasons Jeff is bummed with me right now is because he saw me do an interview where I said something that I promised him I'd keep between us," Dobrik continued. According to court docs obtained by ET, Wittek is seeking $10 million in damages for"general negligence and intentional tort," alleging that he missedout on work and sustained hospital bills due to the intense injuries he suffered as a result of the incident. He has also reiterated that he had "absolutely nothing to do" with the events that night. Hijazi and Smith did not immediately respond to requests for comment. youtu.be 234 37 comments Best Add a Comment biaaax 2 yr. ago Crazy he fucked his skull so badly on the inside he almost died- looks mild from pictures but apparently the damage was actually pretty bad 27 He COULD have been charged with manslaughter had Jeff been inches closer to the excavator. He was hospitalized after his accident. Also, why the fuck are they making content like this for kids! Wittek doesn't explain exactly what happened in the latest episode, but based on what was shown it appears he flew into part of the excavator at high speed, bashing his face, after Dobrik lost control of how fast he was swinging. Everybody thought I was gonna die, he recalls. Your login session has expired. Wittek was injured last summer, but has been secretive about the details since. But Jeff has said what Dom did was "horrible and disgusting" and he has donated money to a charity which helps victims of sexual assault. Wittek explained that during the lockdown, the Vlog Squad tried to get back together by doing stunts. 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,"before revealing the truth in a YouTube docuseries titled "Don't Try This at Home.". I'd be suing until he had nothing left. I am truly sorry you were in that situation, which I was not aware of at the time. The right part of his face appears to have several contusions and lacerations, and his eye on that side is swollen. "I just jumped out of a plane 20 times, what's the worst that could happen if I swing from a rope over a one-foot deep lake?" Wittek said that he gets emotional watching the part of the video where people run and save him. "Sorry I haven't posted any new pics of the mullet this week. Ill heal up good as new, and Ill get some new pics of that mullet up as soon as they can get me a blow dryer up to my hospital room, he said in the post. I'll heal up good as new, and Ill get some new pics of that mullet up as soon as they can get me a blow dryer up to my hospital room," he joked in his caption. Jeffrey R. Wittek (born December 15, 1989) is an American YouTuber, comedian, and podcaster. Jeff was dragged into the controversy after it was alleged he bought alcohol for underage girls the same night of the reported sexual assault. In the My Truth video, Jeff claims the only person who accused him of buying alcohol for minors was Trisha Paytas - whom he has a ongoing feud with following her messy breakup with his friend Jason Nash. Jeff tweeted this week: "My heart goes out entirely to the victim. YouTube star and vlog squad member Jeff Wittek suffered a horrific injury resulting from a filmed stunt gone wrong. So I really appreciate the amount of support from u guys. Jeff Wittek said in a new video that Toddy Smith and Zane Hijazi "saved" his life. UPDATE March 26, 2021. My vlogs and everything,' just promoting his vlog," he continued. In the narration, Wittek said he wanted to make a "funny video" so they started trying new ideas. Copyright 2023 Business Insider Nederland. It's just him like, 'Oh, I'm so happy with my life right now. The squad is known for bringing several content creators together to work on different videos. YouTube star and vlog squad member Jeff Wittek suffered a horrific injury resulting from a filmed stunt gone wrong. David is selfish and just not a good friend or person, even if he had a license to operate that machine Im sure he didnt have months of practicing on it unlike Jeff,Todd, and Natalie who had to dedicate their time to jumping out of the plane MULTIPLE times and Take classes. But he said he felt "more alive than ever" and would "heal up as good as new". "I have absolutely nothing to do with nor any influence with this disgusting act nor did I purchase anything to allow this to happen. But Im OK. Im more alive than ever. Shop 5 chocolate colored bags worth coveting now, Nordstroms new markdowns include lots of winter dresses on sale for less than $50. In light of the disturbing revelation, several fans took to Twitter to slam David Dobrik. According to court docs obtained by ET, Wittek is seeking $10 million . On April 15, 2021, nearly 10 months after the accident, he published a trailer on YouTube for a docu-series called "Don't Try This At Home" and announced he would be explaining everything. The original idea was that they were going to hold onto an inflatable raft while the machine swung them in circles. He denies the allegations, but photos show he was there while the victim was carried out of the apartment. The YouTuber has uploaded a censored version of his latest episode. "King of YouTube" David Dobrik and the rest of the Vlog Squad have created a reputation for themselves online of doing pretty much anything for views. Jeff Wittek and his relationship with Vlog Squad . And it's a s**tty -- it's an accident. On 06/21/2022 JEFFREY WITTEK filed a Personal Injury - Uninsured Motor Vehicle lawsuit against DAVID DOBRIK,. "As for my involvement in the video, I was under the impression it was a consensual bit. On his own podcast, VIEWS, in March, Dobrik said of the incident, "The Jeff thing is the f---ing worst. While the Vlog Squad members are a revolving door of characters, Wittek became an addition to the crew in 2020. Meg perfectly channelled the whole Bluey gang and looked super cute while doing it. It's the most unfortunate thing ever. In the clip, a doctor tells the YouTuber: "If that would have entered 3 millimeters higher, and been on the same angle, it would have cut your eye right in half.". To date, Jeff has not explained in detail about his accident. Can you just promise that no one ever knows that this was my idea?'" Another adds: "And nobody could do anything to stop it. Press Enter / Return to begin your search. He goes on to say that he didn't realize he would go so fast, but wanted to make a funny video, so he did it anyway. The doctor adds that Wittek "would have died" if the object was a few inches the other way. David Dobrik is being sued for damages related to ex-Vlog Squad member Jeff Wittek's near-fatal injuries. Just prior to Jeff Wittek's turn, Corinna Kopf had accused Dobrik of "taking things too far" for the sake of a joke. Last summer, the YouTuber confirmed to his fans that he suffered serious injuries after getting into an accident. He promised his 3.1 million followers that he would show off the new hairstyle on the app. The Judge overseeing this case is DANIEL M. CROWLEY. & 2023 CBS Studios Inc. and CBS Interactive Inc., Paramount companies. Wittek said in the narration. I work w/ and around heavy machinery like this and its no joke whatsoever. 2.8m Followers, 1,094 Following, 406 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Jeff Wittek (@jeff) At the time, Jeff hadn't mentioned what had happened to his eye, and it wasn't until April that viewers were able to put all the pieces of his accident together. Sorry I havent posted any new pics of the mullet this week. Jeff is an internet personality and has over 2.7 million subscribers on YouTube. He usually uses his Instagram to keep his fans updated about what he has been working on.