Where Is the David Dobrik Documentary? Casey Neistat Shares an Update

If you're one of the people who's been anxiously awaiting the release of Casey Neistat's promised documentary centered around YouTuber David Dobrik, Under the Influence, he finally gave an update on it on Dec. 29, 2024.

Casey sat down with Jeff Wittek on his podcast JEFF FM to discuss why the documentary has not yet been released. As most people know, Jeff is a former friend of David who suffered a permanent eye injury in a crane accident and took legal action afterward.

While Casey did give some insight into what's been halting the full release of the documentary — only a few had the chance to see it at South by Southwest — it might not be the answer you were hoping for. Here's what Casey had to say.

It's still unclear when Casey will release his David Dobrik documentary to the public, but at least we now know what the hold-up is. Filming for the documentary began around the time negative press surfaced in 2021, when Dominykas Zeglaitis, known as Durte Dom, was accused of rape.

Casey took on the task of documenting David's life, not realizing the large undertaking he was committing to at the time.

Casey now says, "Maybe there is some part that I don’t want to have to confront this story." He further explained that the holdup might also have something to do with him feeling guilty because he utilized the access David had given him into his life as a friend and used it to expose "the truth that he didn't want out there."

While Casey acknowledged that it's "f----ed up," he also suggested that his hesitation to be more "aggressive in getting this out there" could stem from a desire to protect David.

While he admitted that wanting to protect his friend feels "messed up," Casey expressed "guilt towards the victim." He highlighted how vulnerable Jeff was on camera, which contributed to his guilt toward Jeff as well.

Despite all this, Casey appears unsure if he's ready to release the documentary, almost regretting starting it altogether. He admitted, "If I had understood the totality of it, I don’t think I would have stepped my foot in the water."

In addition to sharing why he hasn't released the documentary centered around David, Casey also explained that some aspects of the film now seem inaccurate.

While he questions whether he should revisit and tweak the film, he emphasizes how much time and money he’s already invested in it, and that it doesn't seem feasible. It almost seems as though he'd like to just leave it in the past, admitting to Jeff that he prefers to spend his time on his podcast discussing Jeff's new ventures instead.

Casey did, however, clarify that the documentary doesn’t feature any first-hand reporting. It tells the story of what happened after news broke about the allegations surrounding Dom, focusing on "how dark and just how awful the crimes of Dom were and the impact that had on David's vlogs."

For now, it seems fans will have to wait a little longer for the documentary's release.