With half a billion fans, a multi-million dollar personal fortune, and a global business empire, it would take a lot to topple YouTube's biggest influencer, Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast. But a 54-page court document may be his biggest challenge yet.
Five female contestants from the upcoming Prime Video series Beast Games are taking legal action against MrBeast's production company, MrB2024, and Amazon in Los Angeles. Touted as the largest-ever reality competition show, 1,000 contestants were set to compete for a $5 million (£3.7 million) prize—though the lawsuit has now thrown the show’s future into uncertainty.
The lawsuit, with many details redacted, accuses the production of fostering a culture of misogyny and sexism, claiming the women 'particularly and collectively suffered' in such an environment. The allegations threaten the wholesome image MrBeast has cultivated as one of the internet's most likable figures.
According to the document, participants were allegedly 'underfed and overtired,' with meals provided 'sporadically and sparsely,' endangering their health. Some claims, almost entirely redacted from public view, suggest a 'hostile work environment' involving sexual harassment.
In August, The New York Times spoke to over a dozen participants from the unreleased show, with reports of several hospitalizations on set. One contestant claimed to have gone over 20 hours without food, while others reported delays in receiving necessary medication.
Both MrBeast and Amazon have yet to comment on the allegations. As the legal battle unfolds, the question remains: will this controversy dent the YouTube king's overwhelming popularity?
MrBeast has been no stranger to controversy this year, but has come out unscathed each time. In July, the 26-year-old American announced he had hired investigators after former co-host Eva Chris Tyson was accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl. Eva denied the charges but apologized for her "past conduct" which she called "unacceptable." MrBeast said he was "disgusted" by the "serious allegations." Further allegations about business practices then emerged on an anonymous YouTube channel claiming to be a former employee. The BBC was unable to independently verify the person's claims or identity. Some of his charities, such as building wells in Africa and funding surgeries for the blind and hearing impaired, have been criticized as exploitative. "Deaf people like me deserve better than Mr Beast's latest inspiration porn," one person told The Independent last year. But his empire continues to grow. The day before the lawsuit was announced on Wednesday, he announced he had collaborated with fellow celebrities KSI and Logan Paul on a new food line designed to compete with Lunchables. And as I wrote about his meteoric rise last year, he's made his millions through hard work. His videos are big-budget experiences, the most popular of which has been viewed 652 million times, a real-life re-creation of the Netflix hit Squid Game, with a prize pool of $456,000 (£342,000).
Most of his charity work is not particularly controversial, and he has donated houses, cash, and cars, giving him the image of a good guy online. According to his website, he has delivered over 25 million meals to people in need around the world. People continue to flock to his social channels; in June, his YouTube channel gained enough subscribers to become the largest in the world. According to statistics firm Socialblade, MrBeast gained an additional 5 million subscribers in the past 30 days alone. This is just an indicator. For example, we can't say how many people unsubscribed from his channel. But what is certain is that the number of people who actively decided to stop watching his videos outnumbers the number of people who decided to subscribe to his channel. YouTube Apology He's probably not the only YouTuber whose popularity has continued despite controversy. Other YouTubers have weathered much fiercer storms than Mr. Beast, and few have faced more ripples than a public apology. Logan Paul faced massive backlash in 2018 after uploading a video to his 15 million subscribers that showed the body of a person who appeared to have taken his own life. After deleting the original video, he shared a less than two-minute apology with the simple caption, "I'm truly sorry." He now has 23 million subscribers, owns an incredibly popular sports drink, and was the WWE United States Champion until August. He also participated in several pay-per-view boxing matches. Other famous YouTubers, including PewDiePie, James Charles, and Jeffree Star, have also had their own controversies but continued their careers after uploading apology videos. A more modern example is Herschel “Guy” Beam, known online as Dr. Disrespect, who admitted to messaging “single minors” in 2017. He went offline for two months after making the statement, emphasizing that “nothing illegal happened, no images were shared, no crime was committed.” His comeback livestream earlier this month garnered more than three million views, despite criticism from other famous streamers. According to Streams Charts, Dr Disrespect is the second most-watched streamer in the US this year. The point is, YouTubers are quick to forgive.
What's next for MrBeast? As MrBeast's fanbase continues to grow, controversy has flared up again, and his next move could determine his long-term success. James Lunn, chief strategy officer at Savvy Marketing, says the star is in an "incredibly unique position" with a "diverse" brand across many industries. "We're really in uncharted territory," he says, adding that "a proactive approach to addressing issues transparently and ensuring accountability would protect his brand." Brand expert Catherine Shuttleworth said the "huge scale" of MrBeast's fame could act as a buffer against backlash, but that this lawsuit could be difficult. "When it comes to business ventures, especially those aimed at families and children, like Feasibles chocolate bars and Ranchly, the situation is different," she says. "Parents often have the purchasing power and tend to have less tolerance for controversy over safety, fairness and ethics." When I wrote about MrBeast in August 2023, I predicted he would soon claim the YouTube throne, even though he had only half the subscribers at the time. Now, he faces more challenges as his fame grows, and much of the internet is eagerly awaiting his answers to what, so far, is only one side of a complex story.
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