Jeff Wittek

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Jeff Wittek
Personal information
BornJeffrey R. Wittek[1]
(1989-12-15) December 15, 1989 (age 32)
New York City, U.S.
EducationSusan E. Wagner High School
Occupation
YouTube information
Channels
LocationLos Angeles, California, United States
Years active2011–present
GenreComedy
Subscribers3.14 million (Jeff Wittek)
Total views300 million (Jeff Wittek)
Associated acts
YouTube Silver Play Button 2.svg 100,000 subscribers
YouTube Gold Play Button 2.svg 1,000,000 subscribers
Updated: May 2021

Jeffrey R. Wittek (born December 15, 1989) is an American YouTuber, comedian, and podcaster.[2] He joined David Dobrik’s Vlog Squad in late 2018.[3][4]

Early life[]

Wittek was born in Staten Island, New York, where he attended Susan E. Wagner High School.[5] He grew up in a rough neighborhood and as a teenager made money by working at local barbershops and also by selling drugs.[5][6] He continued selling drugs after relocating to Miami, Florida, and was eventually arrested in 2011 for possession of marijuana, cocaine, and a controlled substance, as well as illegal drug trafficking.[3][7] The charges were dismissed for lack of a search warrant, after which he moved to Los Angeles, planning to buy marijuana in bulk and mail it back to New York City.[3]

Career[]

2012–16: Early YouTube and 1600 Vine[]

Wittek started his YouTube account in 2011, but first became known for the Tumblr account he started in 2012, "Behind the Cuts", where he styled the hair of celebrities like Mac Miller and Pauly D. He also posted hair styling and party pictures on Instagram.[3]

Wittek's fame increased after his 2014 move to 1600 Vine, a Hollywood apartment building known for housing internet celebrities like Jake Paul and Lele Pons.[8] There he met Dobrik through another Vlog Squad member, Toddy Smith.

For three years starting in 2015, he dated actress Cierra Ramirez.[9]

2017–19: The Vlog Squad and Jeff’s Barbershop[]

During Wittek's time filming with the Vlog Squad, Dobrik encouraged him to release his mugshot and make his former criminal activity part of his online persona. He started filming episodes for his online talk show Jeff's Barbershop in 2019, and gained enough popularity to become a brand ambassador for Old Spice.[10]

2020–present: Accident, Don’t Try This at Home, and Patreon[]

In June 2020, Wittek was badly injured in Utah while filming a stunt with Dobrik and the Vlog Squad.[11][12] Dobrik was illegally operating an excavator in a shallow lake while Wittek swung from a rope attached to the end of the excavator arm; when the excavator stopped, Wittek collided with the arm and fell. His skull was fractured in nine places, his left eye socket was fractured, his hip and foot were broken, and ligaments in his leg were torn. Wittek continued to regularly film his Jeff’s Barbershop series without addressing the injuries.[3]

The docuseries Don’t Try This at Home was released in April 2021 after nearly ten months of speculation from the public, and comprised five episodes in which Wittek explained the circumstances surrounding the injury, described life in recovery from a near-fatal accident, and also spoke about how the incident affected his relationship with Dobrik.[3][6][13][14][15] After releasing the first episode, Wittek pivoted to Patreon because the footage of his injuries was deemed too graphic for YouTube. His Patreon account gained 37,000 followers in the first 10 days, making him one of the most-followed creators on that platform and the highest-paid creator of 18+ content on the platform.[16][17]

References[]

  1. ^ "What Happened to Jeff Wittek?". Distractify. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  2. ^ Weiss, Geoff (April 29, 2021). "Jeff Wittek's Patreon Account Gets 37,000 Supporters In 10 Days With Docuseries Rollout". www.tubefilter.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Asarch, Steven. "How the Vlog Squad's Jeff Wittek found fame through controversy, from his 'drug dealer' past to the David Dobrik accident". Insider. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Sands, Mason. "You Should Be Paying Attention To 'Little Black Mirror' (Even If You Can't Watch It) (Updated)". Forbes. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Priola, Victoria (April 21, 2021). "Jeff Wittek launches 'tell-all' YouTube docuseries about meeting David Dobrik, growing up on Staten Island". silive. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Twersky, Carolyn (May 5, 2021). "Jeff Wittek Reveals There Was a Time He Thought David Dobrik Hurt Him 'On Purpose'". Seventeen. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Nambiar, Prerna (March 22, 2021). "Why did Jeff Wittek go to jail? A look back at his arrest". HITC. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  8. ^ Barragan, Bianca (January 2, 2018). "The Hollywood building where social media stars live". Curbed LA. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  9. ^ "Vlog Squad Member Jeff Wittek Dated Actress Cierra Ramirez for Three Years". Distractify. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  10. ^ Priola, Victoria (March 4, 2020). "Is Staten Island native Jeff Wittek the new face of Old Spice?". silive. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  11. ^ Dodgson, Lindsay. "Vlog Squad member Jeff Wittek revealed he injured his eye while swinging from an excavator David Dobrik was controlling". Insider. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  12. ^ Vulpo, Mike (April 22, 2021). "YouTuber Jeff Wittek Shares Shocking Details on How David Dobrik Caused His Near-Fatal Accident". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  13. ^ Gonzalez, A.F.; Campione, Katie (April 22, 2021). "Vlogger Jeff Wittek Opens Up About Accident Involving David Dobrik That Almost Killed Him". People.com. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  14. ^ Vallejo, Justin (April 27, 2021). "YouTuber Jeff Wittek says David Dobrik stunt 'made me resent him'". The Independent. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  15. ^ Smith, Georgina (May 1, 2021). "David Dobrik explains his side of life-threatening Jeff Wittek vlog accident". Dexerto. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  16. ^ Weiss, Geoff (April 29, 2021). "Jeff Wittek's Patreon Account Gets 37,000 Supporters In 10 Days With Docuseries Rollout. That's At Least $2.2 Million In Annual Revenue". tubefilter. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  17. ^ Mendez II, Moises (May 20, 2021). "Jeff Wittek responded to claims that his eye injury documentary was a 'cash grab,' joking 'I lost my vision but 60Gs is 60Gs'". Insider. Retrieved August 20, 2021.

External links[]

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