CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses alleged sexual harassment.
MrBeast AKA Jimmy Donaldson and Amazon are currently being sued by five anonymous contestants who competed in Donaldson’s upcoming show Beast Games. The unnamed participants allege experiencing “sexual harassment”, “chronic mistreatment”, “emotional distress” and more on set.
The class-action lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, September 16 local time. The new show was greenlit by Amazon Prime Video, with the show boasting the largest cash prize for any reality TV show yet — with 2000 contestants competing for a massive USD $5 million (roughly AUD $7.3 million).
According to Rolling Stone, the show was filmed in Toronto and Panama, and was expected to wrap in mid-September. Crew members who spoke to the publication revealed there was a “Fyre Fest kind of feeling” on set, with a “potentially unsafe working environment”.
After hearing rumours and allegations about the show from Rosanna Pansino — including a claim about “people having seizures” due to medication being withheld — it’s not surprising that a lawsuit has emerged.
Variety has since shared a redacted copy of the lawsuit, which claims Beast Games had a massive USD $100 million (roughly AUD $147 million) budget.
The Plaintiffs are seeking alleged unpaid wages for hours worked, other business expenses, as well as attorney fees and monetary damages.
The lawsuit alleges that MrBeast’s production company, Amazon and production company Off One’s Base LLC inflicted emotional distress, failed to pay minimum and overtime wages, didn’t provide uninterrupted meal and rest breaks, used unfair business practices and more.
“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,” lawyers for the unnamed Beast Games contestants told Variety.
“Several contestants ending up hospitalised, while others reported suffering physical and mental complications while being subjected to chronic mistreatment, degradation and, for the female contestants, hostile working conditions.”
Lawyers claim the Beast Games contestants found themselves without medical care, sleep, food and basic hygiene necessities. The female participants also allege there was a “hostile work environment for the female contestants”, claiming there was a “culture of misogyny and sexism”.
While some parts of the lawsuit are redacted to protect those making sexual harassment allegations, what’s available to read is pretty sobering.
“Female contestants, who suffered… as well as sexual harassment throughout the Production… which was not only noticed but allowed… apparently this was allowed because of marching orders from the top,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also refers to an alleged MrBeast handbook shared by Pansino, which encourages MrBeast employees to “empower the boys when filming”.
“If talent wants to draw a dick on the whiteboard 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 document reads.
What have the plaintiffs and their lawyers said about Beast Games?
One female plaintiff, listed as “Contestant 5” in the lawsuit, told Variety about her experience.
“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 didn’t think I would be treated like nothing — less than nothing,” she claimed.
“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.”
Robert Pafundi from the Pafundi Law Firm — lead counsel for the five plaintiffs — said in this case, the law “could not be more clear”.
“Participants entered into contracts and they were promised compensation for their services. Their expectation of compensation, along with them being consistently under the control and supervision of the production staff, makes them employees under California law,” he explained.
“As such, they were entitled to, and denied, certain protections. And when you add to that the extreme neglect, degradation, harassment and inhumane conditions — it’s quite simply a massive dereliction of duty, for which the defendants must and will now be held accountable,” he claimed.
At this stage, neither Amazon nor MrBeast have commented on the lawsuit.
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
Lead image: Getty, YouTube/MrBeast
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