YouTuber MrBeast and Amazon Sued for Exploitation and Sexual Harassment by Contestants of Beast Games

YouTuber MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, along with Amazon, has been named in a lawsuit alleging exploitation of participants in their $5 million jackpot game show, Beast Games. Contestants claim they faced unfair treatment and sexual harassment while competing in what is promoted as the world’s largest live game show.

According to Variety, Beast Games, commissioned by Amazon’s Prime Video, features over 1,000 participants vying for a $5 million cash prize. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in a Los Angeles court, asserts that contestants were not properly compensated and were denied meal breaks and sufficient rest.

The plaintiffs are identified only as Contestants One to Five in the Los Angeles Superior Court filing against Amazon Alternative LLC and MrBeast’s production company, MRB2024 LLC. The lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of all affected contestants, demanding unpaid wages, expenses, and unspecified damages.

The lawsuit states, “Defendant production companies and Amazon shamelessly exploited the labour of contestants on the forthcoming $100 million MrBeast-Amazon production ‘Beast Games,’ which Amazon promotes as the world’s largest live game show with the biggest single prize in television history.”

It further claims that the show’s entertainment value is derived from the physical and emotional labour of contestants competing under extreme pressure for life-changing prize money.

Attorneys for the contestants noted that while participants were aware of the challenging nature of the competition, they encountered far more than they anticipated.

“Several contestants ended up hospitalized, while others reported physical and mental complications due to chronic mistreatment and hostile working conditions,” they stated.

The lawsuit details that contestants were deprived of medical care, food, sleep, and basic hygiene necessities, with producers allegedly creating unsafe working conditions. Some allegations regarding sexual harassment have been redacted for privacy.

One of the female plaintiffs referred to as Contestant Five, shared, “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 never thought I would be treated as less than nothing. It absolutely felt like a hostile environment for women.”

MrBeast has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the lawsuit, and Amazon declined to comment. The release date for the game show competition has not been announced, but it has been touted as “the world’s largest live gameshow” with the largest single prize in television and streaming history.

With over 300 million subscribers, MrBeast is one of the most successful YouTubers, known for his high-stakes contests and philanthropic efforts. TIME magazine named him one of the world’s most influential people in 2023, while Forbes estimated his net worth at around $54 million.