MrBeast Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Sexual Harassment, Unpaid Wages on ‘Beast Games’ Reality Show
Five former contestants on MrBeast‘s upcoming Beast Games competition series have filed a class action lawsuit against the show’s production company, according to a filing obtained by Rolling Stone. The new lawsuit was filed Monday, the same day Rolling Stone published an investigation where former contestants described unsafe work conditions and “wild” chaos on the reality television show with Amazon.
The complaint accuses MrB2024, a production company believed to be owned by Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, and Amazon of having “shamelessly exploited the labor” of the hundreds of contestants and mischaracterizing their participation on the show to avoid employment obligations — including fair pay and mandatory meal and rest breaks — under California law. It also claims that contestants suffered “unreasonable, unsafe, and unlawful” work conditions, including being “fed sporadically and sparsely,” and that women were subjected to sexual harassment.
“Defendants employed superior bargaining power to coerce the Contestants to sign unconscionable contracts with illegal terms and illusory obligations and also knowingly mischaracterized the Contestants [redacted] to avoid Defendants employment obligations under California law,” alleges the suit.
According to a press release issued by a consulting firm coordinating with plaintiffs’ attorneys, the complaint contains numerous redactions, including details “giving rise to the sexual harassment allegations” that the plaintiffs described is an “effort to comply with defendants’ confidentiality provisions” and to protect their privacy.
As Rolling Stone previously reported, according to the show’s Contestant Agreement and Release, if a competitor divulges any “confidential information” before the last episode airs, they agree to pay $500,000 as well as any earnings. After airing, the fee is lowered to $100,000.
One crew member NDA Rolling Stone viewed said that the “recipient waives any right to seek or obtain injunctive or other equitable relief against Producer or any Project,” and that they can’t talk about confidential information for three years.
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The filing also accuses the reality show of creating a work environment that “systematically fostered a culture of misogyny,” noting specific incidents, including one involving the production staff, although specific information was redacted in the public complaint.
“The contestants had no autonomy. Defendants exercised complete control,” read one line in the complaint, before listing redacted allegations, later adding that contestants were “corralled into tightly controlled [redacted] where they were supervised… without any privacy.”
Another claim in the suit said that the “insufficient caloric intake” provided “endangered the health” of contestants. (One contestant who spoke with Rolling Stone said they received a single “scoop of rice” on their 15-minute break over a 16-hour shift. Another PA alleged that “catering ran out of food a bunch of times.”)
The lawsuit further alleges that women were subject to sexual harassment, claiming actions were allowed “because of marching orders from the top” and highlighting an purported How to Succeed in MrBeast Production handbook that was “written in the first person from what appears to be Mr. Donaldson’s perspective.”
The alleged handbook provides insight into the “boys-will-be-boys working conditions” and was shared by YouTuber Rosanna Pansino, who claimed she confirmed its authenticity with two MrBeast employees, per the suit. A highlighted directive in the alleged guide reads: “If talent wants to draw a dick on the white board 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.”
“I wanted to join because I was a fan of MrBeast and his videos made me smile during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said one of the female plaintiffs, identified as “Contestant 5,” in a statement. “I expected to be challenged, but I didn’t think I would be treated like nothing — less than nothing. 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.”
The lawsuit also accuses the show of falsely promoting the game to allowing 1,000 contestants, when in reality there were twice as many. Although specific amounts are not stated, the proposed class action calls for compensation of unpaid and overtime wages for each contestant, waiting time penalties, punitive damages, and an hour of additional pay for each uninterrupted meal break not provided.
“It is obvious that the female participants in particular deserved better,” added Lizelle S. Brandt of Singian Law, lead counsel for the plaintiffs. “The production staff not only participated in, but also created, conditions that fostered a hostile work environment and culminated in the sexual harassment of female participants. While we cannot undo what they have suffered at the hands of those they trusted, we want to at least bring them some measure of justice.”
Plaintiffs are also asking the court to order the production company and Amazon to be more transparent in Beast Games advertising to future applicants, to correctly classify the participants as employees, and to add workplace reforms and training programs for employees and supervisors to prevent further negligence and harassment, per the release. The former contestants are seeking substantial damages likely totaling in the millions of dollars.
In Rolling Stone’s report, the chaotic work environment led to six hospitalizations, and contestants acknowledged that production was put in a “bad position” when trying to bring MrBeast’s vision for the reality show to life. “They were in over their heads and they didn’t know what to do,” Scott Leopold, an Austin-based actor who competed in the Vegas round, said. “Like people were just doing things that they couldn’t control.”