MrBeast Defends 'Beast Games' Amid Allegations of Unsafe Conditions and Sexual Harassment
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has addressed criticisms regarding safety and conduct on his Amazon Prime Video series, 'Beast Games.' Dismissing the allegations, he said they were "blown out of proportion."
Read more: Former MrBeast Employees Call Work Environment a 'Youth Cult': 'They Squeeze Every Drop Out of You'
Responding on X (formerly Twitter) after Amazon released a teaser for 'Beast Games,' which debuts on December 19, MrBeast directly addressed a viewer's inquiry. The commenter asked, "Is this the same one where a lot of contestants complained of terrible conditions?" MrBeast replied, "We have tons of behind the scenes dropping when the show does to show how blown out of proportion these claims were. Just can't release it now because it would spoil the games."
Here's a little teaser for Beast Games! I spent over a year creating this 10 episode competition series, breaking 40 world records, building the craziest sets in entertainment history, featuring 1,000 players, and a $5,000,000 grand prize! I poured everything I have into this... pic.twitter.com/cjStGESIcn
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) November 25, 2024
The controversy began with an investigation by The New York Times in August. The report included interviews with over a dozen participants who alleged there was insufficient food and medical care provided during filming. Some contestants reportedly sustained injuries while participating in physically demanding challenges.
Following this report, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Donaldson and Amazon. The legal complaint accused 'Beast Games' of creating "unreasonable, unsafe, and unlawful employment conditions." It also alleged incidents of sexual harassment and claimed that several contestants required hospitalization due to the conditions on set.
The series, consisting of ten episodes, features 1,000 competitors vying for a $5 million prize. Contestants tackle world-record-breaking tasks and other elaborate challenges throughout the show.
Donaldson has publicly defended his commitment to the project, stating, "I poured everything I have into this show." Acknowledging the toll the production took on his regular content, he admitted, "My recent YouTube videos def suffered a bit from me filming this show/spending a bajillion hours on it, whoops."
Donaldson appears to remain confident in the series' success, promising viewers a detailed behind-the-scenes look to dispel the accusations once the show premieres. For now, he and Amazon have chosen not to release further information to avoid spoiling the show's content.
