MrBeast: the controversies surrounding the most popular YouTuber in the world and what needs to be resolved

We find it in streaming services, in chocolate bars and even in our hamburgers. MrBeastor his real name Jimmy Donaldson, has left his popular YouTube career – where he has more than 317 million subscribers – to found an empire with himself on the throne based on his competition videos and his generous gifts to his followers. . All at the tender age of 26.

However, this empire has had some borderline huns in the form of controversies and scandals that have tarnished the image of the businessman and content creator. Here we make a brief summary of the most relevant ones.

the hunger games

Without a doubt the most important crisis in MrBeast’s career is the most recent one, which has seen him entangled with Amazon in a class-action lawsuit by five contestants on the reality show “Beast Games,” alleging “chronic abuse,” sexual harassment and more.

Described as “the largest competition reality show,” “Beast Games” used the contests that made MrBeast famous to take them to the most extreme, bringing together more than a thousand competitors in a match to win a US grand prize. $5 million.

However, the lawsuit filed on September 16 in a Los Angeles court maintains that the project’s contestants were subjected to more than precarious conditions, since not only were they deprived of appropriate remuneration for their participation, but They were also subjected to humiliations such as the deprivation of uninterrupted rest, necessary medical care and even the most minimal standards of hygiene.

The document also alleges that this situation was even worse for the female contestants, who were subjected to an environment that “systematically fostered a culture of misogyny and sexism”.

At one point in the text, the plaintiffs admit that “although the participants knew when signing the contract at the beginning of production that they were facing a potentially long and challenging competition,” in the end they found that the challenge “was much more than they expected.” “they expected.” Furthermore, they allege that “Several contestants ended up hospitalized, while others reported suffering physical and mental complications from being subjected to chronic abuse, degradation and, in the case of female contestants, hostile working conditions.”.

These accusations are on par with what was reported last August by The New York Times in an article titled “Willing to die for MrBeast (and US$5 million)”, where they pointed out that according to the testimony of some anonymous witnesses, “some contestants They left the pageant arena on a stretcher, one contestant said, although it was unclear whether any of them had suffered serious medical problems. Another described how his companions were vomiting and appearing to pass out. There were several hospitalizations.”

For the moment, MrBeast and Amazon have remained silent about the lawsuits, but it is more than likely that this will be a problem that the ‘youtuber’ will not be able to get rid of for some time, either because of the way in which the accusations unfold in the legal system or the controversy that will arise when the release date of “Beast Games” approaches.

The Discord Burger

It is not the only legal mess in which Donaldson has been involved in recent times and the influencer sued last year for Virtual Dining Concepts, the company in charge of his MrBeast Burger fast food franchise in the United States. We emphasize the location, because The franchise is also present in Peru and Mexico with the company Foodology, which has previously declared to El Comercio which is not related in any way to Virtual Dining Concepts.

The partnership between MrBeast and Virtual Dining Concepts began in 2020, when Donaldson partnered with the company to open a series of restaurants under the concept called ‘dark kitchens’, in which instead of having local restaurants under the ‘youtuber’ brand , these were prepared in local restaurants and then stamped with all the brand’s paraphernalia, a concept that was quite effective in reducing costs, but less operational when it came to ensuring that all products maintained a quality standard.

And this was the argument by which Donaldson made his demand, stating that these burgers, which he described as “inedible” in some cases, were causing “material and irreparable damage to the MrBeast brand and its reputation.” and asking the court to allow him to end the relationship.

Virtual Dining Concepts did not remain silent and countersued MrBeast for US$100 millionalleging that the YouTube star had breached his contractual obligations regarding the promotion of MrBeast Burgers, as well as making false statements that have caused “enormous financial damage” to the burger chain.

At the moment, the legal process is still underway, although a start date for the trial has not yet been determined. Meanwhile, Virtual Dining Concepts continues to produce burgers under the name MrBeast Burgers in the United States.

Use of inappropriate language

In recent years and with the growth of his empire, MrBeast has strived to show a clean image that allows him to be a celebrity appropriate for “all ages.” However, his behavior on the web has not always been so neat, and in July of this year a video of a live broadcast that the ‘youtuber’ made in 2017 where he used homophobic and racist language.

Shortly after the video was released, a representative for Jimmy Donaldson issued his public apology in which he admitted that “when he was a teenager he used inappropriate language trying to be funny”.

“Over the years, he has apologized repeatedly and has learned that his growing influence comes with a greater responsibility to be more aware and sensitive to the power of language,” the document, shared with Variety, continues. “After making some bad jokes and other mistakes when he was younger, as an adult he has focused on engaging with the MrBeast community to work together to make a positive impact around the world.”

Partnership with Ava Kris Tyson

But perhaps more worrying than his use of foul language is his former friendship with Ava Kris Tyson, a frequent collaborator of his videos who in June of this year was accused of grooming minorsafter a YouTube video revealed sexually charged conversations she had had with a person identified only by the name LavaGS when he was 13 years old and she was 20.

Tyson, who has worked with MrBeast since 2012, emphatically denied the allegations via his X account (formerly Twitter), although he apologized for his past behavior, which he called “not acceptable.” Besides, revealed the end of his working relationship with the YouTube star “by mutual agreement,” while he focused “on his family and mental health.”

Donaldson gave his response through the same platform, stating that he was “disgusted” by the “serious allegations regarding Ava Tyson’s online behavior” and revealing that he had hired an independent company to “conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that she has all the facts”, although “has seen enough information online to take immediate action and remove Ava from the company, my channel, and any association with MrBeast”.

The message concluded by stating that it will allow enough time for investigators to do their work before possibly taking further action, an ambiguous situation that has extended almost three months since these revelations were made.