MrBeast Under Fire After New Competition Show
Movieguide® Contributor
YouTube’s most successful creator, Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, along with Amazon, are being sued for the mistreatment of five contestants in Prime’s BEAST GAMES show.
The contestant stated “they were subjected to ‘chronic mistreatment,’ sexual harassment and more,” Variety reported Sept. 17. “The complaint was filed Monday (Sept. 16) in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges multiple causes of action related to the chronic mistreatment of and neglect suffered by participants in BEAST GAMES, a reality competition ordered by Prime Video in which more than 1,000 participants compete for a single $5 million cash prize.”
Movieguide® reported on the show in March:
In a statement about BEAST GAMES, Donaldson said, “My goal is to make the greatest show possible and prove YouTubers and creators can succeed on other platforms. Amazon gave me the creative control I need to try and make it happen. I hope to make the YouTube community proud.”
Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon MGM Studios, added, “MrBeast has captured the attention and imagination of fans of all ages, from all walks of life, and all over the world. We are excited to work with Jimmy and his talented team to bring his brilliant, high production, and stakes-raising concepts to BEAST GAMES for our global customers to experience.”
The victims claim the show has a $100 million budget, and that Amazon and Donaldson’s companies did not pay minimum wages or overtime, did not prevent sexual harassment and created an environment of emotional distress. They claim they did not have uninterrupted meals or rest breaks, and THEY were exposed to dangerous conditions as a requirement of their employment.
“The first round of the show, with more than 2,000, was shot July 18-22 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium,” Variety reported. “The 1,000 participants who made it through the Las Vegas competition moved on to the next round, shot in Toronto in August.”
“While participants knew upon signing the contract at the production’s inception that they were facing a potentially long and challenging competition, they allege getting a lot more than they bargained for,” the attorneys for the contestants said. “Several contestants ended up hospitalized, while others reported suffering physical and mental complications while being subjected to chronic mistreatment, degradation and, for the female contestants, hostile working conditions.”
Per the contestants, they did not have proper sleep, food, medical care or “necessities of basic hygiene.” They allege that they were misled about the number of contestants who would be on the show and therefore were misled about the odds of winning the $5m. They claim that Donaldson and Amazon misclassified contestants as “volunteers” in order to receive tax credits. Particulars of the sexual harassment allegations and other details of the suit have been redacted.
“We signed up for the show,” a contestant told The Times, “but we didn’t sign up for not being fed or watered or treated like human beings.”
Variety said, “The lawsuit seeks to ‘establish a pattern of sexual harassment,’…For example, the complaint cites instructions from an alleged “How to Succeed in MrBeast Production” employee handbook that includes this: ‘If talent wants to draw a [*****] on the white board in the video or do something stupid, let them…Really do everything you can to empower the boys when filming and help them make content. Help them be idiots.’”
In the lawsuit, one contestant said she was treated like “less than nothing.”
She said, “And as one of the women, I can say it absolutely felt like a hostile environment for us. We honestly could not have been respected less — as people, much less employees — if they tried.”
A release date for the show hasn’t been said, and it may never premiere due to how the lawsuit may negatively affect the show and the reputations of the accused.
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