Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, Faces Class-Action Lawsuit From Contestants On Upcoming Prime Video Series 'Beast Games'
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, and Amazon are facing a major lawsuit.
The 26-year-old YouTube star and the conglomerate are named as defendants in a new class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of several contestants who took part in his upcoming Prime Video competition series Beast Games, which was announced earlier this year.
Keep reading to find out more…
Filed on Monday (September 16) in Los Angeles Superior Court, the five unnamed plaintiffs are suing, alleging “multiple causes of action related to the chronic mistreatment of and neglect suffered by participants in Beast Games,” including failure to prevent sexual harassment, failure to pay minimum wages and overtime, not providing meal breaks or rest breaks, created conditions the subjected contestants to infliction of emotional distress, and exposed them to “dangerous circumstances and conditions a condition of their employment.”
The lawsuit is demanding Amazon and MrBeast‘s company pay the alleged unpaid wages and expenses, as well as unspecified punitive monetary damages.
“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 shared in a statement. “Several contestants ending 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.”
In the suit, it’s also said they were “deprived of medical care, food, sleep and the necessities of basic hygiene. Portions of the lawsuit are redacted, including some of the details involving the sexual harassment allegations.”
It states, “The Plaintiffs have filed this action using pseudonyms and applying conservative redactions that limit public viewing in a good faith effort to comply with Defendants’ overbroad confidentiality provisions (which Plaintiffs allege are unenforceable), as well as to preserve the confidentiality and privacy interests of the Plaintiffs who wish to avoid opprobrium.”
One female contestant said, “I wanted to join because I was a fan of MrBeast and his videos made me smile during the COVID-19 pandemic. I expected to be challenged, but I didn’t think I would be treated like nothing — less than nothing. 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.”
You can read the full, redacted lawsuit HERE.
“As extreme as the allegations against defendants are here, the law could not be more clear,” lead counsel for the plaintiffs Robert Pafundi of Pafundi Law Firm said. “Participants entered into contracts and they were promised compensation for their services. Their expectation of compensation, along with them being consistently under the control and supervision of the production staff, makes them employees under California law. As such, they were entitled to, and denied, certain protections. And when you add to that the extreme neglect, degradation, harassment and inhumane conditions — it’s quite simply a massive dereliction of duty, for which the defendants must and will now be held accountable.”
Beast Games, which does not yet have a release date, was announced back in March, with the prize money being the largest ever in competition TV history – $5 million!
Late last year, fellow YouTuber Rosanna Pansino called out MrBeast for lying and editing her placement in a competition she took part in. She later issued an apology and removed her initial posts.
Since then, Rosanna has taken to social media and her YouTube channel, sharing several videos, speaking out about the mistreatment the Beast Games contestants have allegedly faced.