MrBeast, whose birth name is Jimmy Donaldson, has faced a lot of controversies in his career as a YouTuber. The latest of this involves a class-action lawsuit that five anonymous contestants of his reality competition series, Beast Games, filed against him, Amazon, and other production companies associated with the show. Beast Games is set to release on Amazon Prime Video sometime in late 2024. However, there have been allegations about unsafe working conditions on the set of the series even before this.
Here is everything you may need to know about the lawsuit against MrBeast and Amazon.
Why did ‘Beast Games’ contestants sue MrBeast?
Five unnamed contestants of Beast Games have sued MrBeast, Amazon, and various production companies that worked on the show, alleging, among other things, sexual harassment, “gross mistreatment and neglect” on set, insufficient wages, and unpaid overtime. (via The Washington Post) The lawsuit was filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, September 16.
According to the lawsuit, after participating in the show challenges, several contestants sustained physical injuries. Some were taken to the hospital. The lawsuit also claims that the contestants were denied enough food, sleep, medical care, and basic hygiene necessities.
A female plaintiff attached to the lawsuit, referred to as Contestant 5, mentioned in a statement the “hostile environment” she encountered during her time on the set. “I wanted to join because I was a fan of MrBeast, and his videos made me smile during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “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.” (via Variety)
Filmed in Las Vegas, Beast Games will reportedly follow over 1,000 individuals as they compete against each other to win a $5 million prize.
What is the latest ‘Beast Games’ lawsuit update?
According to the above-mentioned Variety report, the lawsuit wants class-action status to represent all the show’s affected participants. Outlets such as Variety and Deadline reportedly contacted representatives of MrBeast and Amazon for a response. However, they haven’t received any response as yet.
