Beast Games claims ‘blown out of proportion’ says YouTuber

MrBeast has claimed he has footage showing claims his upcoming reality show “shamelessly exploited” contestants were “blown out of proportion”.

The YouTuber, real name Jimmy Donaldson, released a teaser for Beast Games on Monday, announcing that it would be released next month.

In September, Amazon and MrBeast were named in a US lawsuit, which made a number of allegations about how contestants were treated on set.

The Amazon series promised to be the biggest live game show in the world, with 1,000 people competing in a series of elimination challenges for a $5m cash prize. (£3.5m).

Although he has not formally commented on the allegations, MrBeast responded to a user on X who asked about the allegations on Monday.

“We have tons of behind-the-scenes stuff that drops when the show does to show how blown out of proportion these allegations were,” he said.

“Just can’t release it now because it would ruin the games.”

Five anonymous participants made claims on behalf of everyone who participated in the series.

They claim they were not paid, were subjected to unsafe conditions and experienced sexual harassment.

In the 54-page legal document, the production was accused of a “culture of misogyny” that controls the “undernourished and overtired” cast and fails to provide a safe working environment.

The contestants are suing the companies involved in the show, including Amazon and MrB2024, which lawyers say are “believed to be owned in whole or in part, directly or indirectly” by MrBeast.

BBC Newsbeat has contacted MrBeast and Amazon about the ongoing legal proceedings.

Also named in the papers is a production company, Off One’s Base LLP, which BBC Newsbeat has been unable to contact.

Representatives of the participants have also been contacted for comment.

MrBeast is the largest YouTuber in the world with more than 300 million subscribers, known for extensive challenges as well as his philanthropy.

The 26-year-old released a teaser trailer for the series on Monday, saying he had “poured everything I have into this show”.

He also said on X that his YouTube channel had “definitely suffered a little bit” due to the time he’s spent on Beast Games.

As well as hosting the challenges, MrBeast is also an executive producer on the series, which Amazon says will be similar to his YouTube videos, “driven by time-sensitive emotional decisions, pyrotechnics and, of course, big rewards”.

In the trailer, the 1,000 participants are seen lined up in individual boxes, jumping from a helicopter and aboard a pirate ship.

“This show is going to blow your mind, I’m so excited,” MrBeast said in an Instagram story.

The legal action was yet another challenge for MrBeast in a year in which other allegations were made against one of his former channel co-hosts, Ava Kris Tyson.

She stopped working with MrBeast in July after other YouTubers accused her of sending inappropriate messages to a minor, allegedly 13 at the time, when she was 20.

At the time, Tyson apologized for her “past actions” but said her behavior never “extended beyond bad edgy jokes” and refused to ever groom anyone.

Earlier this month lawyers hired by MrBeast concluded claims of care were “without foundation”.

However, the investigation identified some “isolated incidents of workplace harassment and misconduct” but that MrBeast’s company took “prompt and appropriate action” when brought to their attention.

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