Poppy Bilderbeck
YouTuber MrBeast has addressed a lawsuit filed by contestants of Amazon's Prime Video show Beast Games alleging mistreatment and sexual harassment.
In September 2024, a lawsuit was filed by contestants of reality competition show Beast Games.
Amazon and YouTuber MrBeast - whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson - are behind the $100,000,000 show which saw over 1,000 participants compete for a single $5 million cash prize.
However, Donaldson and Amazon were named in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by five contestants seeking class-action status on behalf of all contestants involved.
The suit alleged contestants were 'underfed and overtired' during filming and their 'health and welfare' was 'endangered,' alongside there being a 'hostile environment' on set, including a 'culture of misogyny and sexism' and sexual harassment which was 'allowed because of marching orders from the top'.
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Attorneys for the contestants said, as quoted by Variety: "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. Several contestants ended up hospitalized, while others reported suffering physical and mental complications while being subjected to chronic mistreatment, degradation and, for the female contestants, hostile working conditions.”
The lawsuit sought further compensation for the 'unpaid wages,' arguing those who took part should be classed as employees for how much they took part in and two of the claimants who alleged a 'hostile environment' was created are seeking further compensation.
And MrBeast has since addressed the allegations in an interview with ABC News' Good Morning America, noting while he can't really 'comment on it,' what he 'can say' is what he's allegedly heard after 'personally' talking to between around 700 to 800 of the 1,000 contestants.
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He said: "I got to let the lawyers handle it, I can't comment on it, but what i can say - I've personally talked to 7-800 contestants, they all want to come back, they all had a great time.
"And you can watch their content online and I think it speaks for itself."
A spokesperson for MrBeast added to the news outlet: "The lawsuit, which was filed last September and hasn't achieved class-action status, still hasn't been served."
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The first episode of Beast Games was released in December last year, and it went on to become one of Amazon Prime Video's most viewed shows.
UNILAD has contacted representatives for MrBeast and Amazon Prime for comment.