Youtuber MrBeast is being sued by former contestants of his upcoming gameshow over allegations of ‘chronic mistreatment’ including sexual harassment.
The 26-year-old, real name Jimmy Donaldson, is the target of a class action lawsuit, along with Amazon, which picked up the show.
Five participants of the forthcoming Beast Games are suing the internet personality, alleging ‘unreasonable, unsafe and unlawful employment conditions’.
They claim production teams maintained ‘the strictest control’ over them, including removing their belongings and withholding food, water and medical care to the extent that several contestants were hospitalized for dehydration.
They also accuse the Youtuber of fostering a ‘toxic and hostile’ work environment, particularly for female participants, as a result of ‘boys-will-be-boys working conditions seemingly promoted by Mr Donaldson,’ per the filing.
Youtuber MrBeast is being sued by contestants on his upcoming gameshow over allegations of ‘chronic mistreatment’ including sexual harassment
‘I wanted to join because I was a fan of MrBeast and his videos made me smile during the COVID-19 pandemic,’ one female 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.’
In one example, the filings cite instructions from a handbook said to be used by Donaldson’s company titled, ‘How to Success in MrBeast Production’.
The alleged document encourages staffers to ’empower the boys’ by looking the other way on inappropriate behavior.
‘If talent wants to draw a dick 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,’ the alleged handbook states.
The Beast Games were marketed as a competition of 1,000 competitors for a $5 million cash prize – billed as the largest ever in TV and streaming history.
But the plaintiffs allege unpaid wages and expenses, arguing that they were intentionally misclassified to circumvent California’s employment laws.
The 26-year-old, real name Jimmy Donaldson, is the target of a class action lawsuit, along with Amazon, which picked up the show
Five anonymous competitors say they were subjected to a toxic working environment, which included unchecked sexual harassment against female contestants
Additional claims include that they were denied proper meal or rest breaks and that contestants suffered emotional distress as well as physical injuries.
‘The Contestants were exposed to dangerous circumstances and conditions as a condition of their employment,’ the lawsuit states.
‘As local news reported, ‘many contestants, … found it was the poor set conditions, rather than the challenges themselves, that proved to be the main difficulty’.’
The filing states they competitors were ‘penned into enclosed spaces with, under conditions where they were underfed, overtired, and competing in stressful and exhausting challenges for a cash prize that could change their lives’.
Beast Games was announced back in March with candidates asked to submit applications. The release date has not yet been made public.
‘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,’ attorneys for the anonymous ‘Beast Games’ contestants said in a statement about the lawsuit.
MrBeast’s company is also accused of withholding food, water, medical supplies and hygiene products during production
‘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.’
The lawsuit was filed on the same day Rolling Stone published an investigation in which former contestants described hazardous work conditions which echoed many of the lawsuit’s claims.
The filing alleges that ‘Beast Games production was so void of standards of reasonable care that MrBeast allegedly offered to cover the contestants’ therapy’.
The document demands that Donaldson’s company pay the alleged unpaid expenses and wages as well as an unspecified amount of damages.
DailyMail.com has contacted MrBeast and Amazon for comment.