YouTube star Jeff Wittek spoke to Dexerto about his physical and mental recovery from his viral eye injury and the next big evolution of his interview series, Jeff’s Barbershop.
Jeff Wittek is an internet personality with over 8 million followers combined across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, hailed for his deadpan wit and hilarious interactions with other social media stars.
Jeff is best known for his interview series, Jeff’s Barbershop, where he cuts clients’ hair while asking them questions about their careers, lives and more.
However, Wittek is also known for being on the receiving end of a gruesome eye injury back in 2021, when a wild stunt for one of fellow YouTuber David Dobrik’s chaotic vlogs went horribly wrong.
Jeff Wittek is a prominent internet personality known for his ‘Jeff’s Barbershop’ interview series and his ‘Jeff FM’ podcast.
In the vlog, Wittek and other members of the ‘Vlog Squad’ dangled from an excavator that was being spun around by Dobrik in the middle of a lake. Wittek’s turn on the improvised carnival ride turned sour when his head smacked the side of the vehicle, resulting in a gash above his right eye.
The incident took the internet by storm, leaving Wittek almost blinded and furious at his friend over the accident. In fact, Jeff even sued Dobrik and cut off their friendship for good.
(Dobrik, for his part, has remained quiet about the suit apart from a few comments in the months following the accident, calling it “the worst thing that’s ever happened to me” and that he would “do anything to take that day back.”)
It’s been nearly four years since Wittek’s injury, and he’s still undergoing multiple surgeries, which often prevent him from working on projects as he recovers.
We got the chance to speak with Jeff about life after the injury and how he’s handling recovery following continued medical procedures and public falling-out with his former friend.
Jeff Wittek speaks out after David Dobrik’s comeback: “The truth always comes out”
To begin, Wittek revealed that he had just gotten out of another operation — one that he told us was the “biggest” surgery he’s had to date.
“I wish I had better news, but this last surgery was the biggest one yet, so I’m still far from fully recovered,” he told us. “I still can’t drive myself, but I’m getting there. Hopefully, I’ll be 100% ready for the tour this spring!”
In fact, Jeff says that this latest procedure actually prevented him from filming a movie, as it took him longer to recover than he’d initially anticipated.
“With this last surgery, I definitely didn’t expect the recovery to take this long,” he said. “We even had to push back an entire movie shoot I’m working on by a month to give my eye more time to heal.”
Jeff’s legal battle against Dobrik put their private spat into the limelight — one of a few such instances that have mixed his public and personal personas. But to Jeff, this kind of content makes things interesting for viewers.
“Honestly, I just spiral publicly,” he admitted. “I like to mix a lot of my private life into my content—sometimes people don’t know what’s real and what’s not, and I think that keeps it entertaining. But the truth always comes out eventually.”
The power of “mindset” in Jeff Wittek’s recovery story
Now, Wittek is focused on both physical and mental fitness as he continues to recover from the traumatic event that upended his life four years prior. Despite all the operations and the drama online, he’s able to keep his head up, explaining that exercise is a key factor in staying positive and motivated.
“I just get up and do it. A lot of times, the pressure feels overwhelming, and I have to make a decision. So I ask myself: Do you want to follow your dreams and take care of the people you love, or do you want to be a loser for the rest of your life?” he said.
“It’s funny—physical fitness is actually more mental for me. When I exercise or train, I feel a sense of productivity, which makes me happy. But if I can’t train, it definitely adds to the depression.”
For Wittek, mindset is key for overcoming any stressful situation, whether that be recovering from physical trauma or dealing with difficulties in one’s career.
“I think a lot of people underestimate how much your mindset plays into everything—whether it’s recovery, career, or just getting through the day,” he mused. “I try to keep moving forward, stay busy, and push through, but some days are harder than others. That’s why I like to keep my content light and funny—it helps me, and hopefully, it helps other people, too.”
Either make it big, or die trying
Jeff is currently focused on his upcoming projects, such as the movie he had to reschedule filming and the resumption of his Jeff’s Barbershop series, which got its first brick-and-mortar location in December 2024.
But it can be challenging juggling both a business and creating his online content, which includes his podcast, Jeff FM, where he discusses current events and chats up special guests like bestie Tana Mongeau.
“We have to make sure the guest fits the vibe of each show,” he explained. “Jeff’s Barbershop is always a little harder to book for because it makes people uncomfortable—it’s supposed to. I think that’s what makes it so relatable.
“Everyone gets nervous getting a haircut, now imagine getting one from a guy who’s throwing backhanded questions at you, trying to piss you off, with giant cameras in your face. The two shows are totally different. I look at them like my kids—I have a new favorite every month, and it keeps switching back and forth.”
With Jeff’s Barbershop getting a big upgrade, his live tour on the horizon and his “biggest surgery ever” in the rearview, Wittek is fully focused on making his “comeback.”
“I’m really excited to shoot my new series out of my actual, brick-and-mortar barbershop in New York City. I feel like that’s going to bring back the original vibe of the show and give it exactly what it needs to level up.
“At this point, my goal is just to be the comeback kid. Giving up isn’t an option—I’ve put everything into this, so it’s either make it big or die trying.”