A popular YouTuber known for his family-friendly content and generous donations to people in need has been named in a lawsuit wherein his reality show contestants say they were “shamelessly exploited.”
Those who were involved in the new reality series Beast Games—which was announced to be streaming on Amazon back in March—are suing both Amazon and MrB2024. This company is owned by MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson. The show includes 1,000 contestants who are competing for a prize of $5 million. It has been promoted as the world’s most extensive live game show.
On Monday September 16, a Los Angeles court received a complaint from show participants that they were not paid, worked in risky safety scenarios, and suffered harassment. Five anonymous contestants in the show filed the complaint, representing all who were involved in the show.
The plaintiffs allege that they were watched via surveillance by the production team, including dictating when contestants slept, how they dressed, and if and when they were in contact with the world outside the studio. Additionally, the partially redacted court documents claimed that show contestants were “underfed and overtired” and were only fed “sporadically and sparsely.”
Additionally, the complaint said that the studio environment was dangerous due to contestants being confined in small spaces and around people who were not properly vetted through background checks, including convicted criminals. Some who were injured did not have resources to proper medical attention.
Women specifically are alleging that they were subjected to a “culture of misogyny and sexism” that led to “hostile environment[s]” for them and even harassment. The legal complaint said that this was “noticed” as well as “allowed,” allegedly because of “marching orders from the top.”
Everyone involved in the lawsuit is asking the court for thousands of dollars in compensation to make up for the “unpaid wages” they argue they are owed. An additional two, both women, are seeking more damages over allegations that they were subjected to a hostile work environment.
