MrBeast and Amazon sued for mistreatment on ‘Beast Games’
MrBeast and Amazon's Prime Video in collage. (Reuters Photo)
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against YouTube star MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) and Amazon, accusing them of subjecting contestants on the upcoming Beast Games reality competition show to chronic mistreatment, sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions.
The lawsuit, submitted on Sept. 16 in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks compensation for five unnamed plaintiffs who participated in the show, which was produced by MrBeast’s company in partnership with Amazon’s Prime Video.
Nature of complaints filed against MrBeast
According to the lawsuit, Beast Games – which is touted as the largest live game show in history with a $5 million cash prize and a $100 million production budget – allegedly placed its contestants in extreme conditions, including denial of basic necessities such as food, rest and medical care.
The suit alleges that the show’s production team violated numerous California labor laws by failing to pay contestants minimum wages and overtime, depriving them of meal and rest breaks, and creating a hostile environment for female participants.
The legal complaint also details instances of sexual harassment, claiming that the working conditions were particularly harmful to female contestants, who were subjected to degradation and hostile behavior. The suit references a so-called “MrBeast Production Handbook,” which allegedly included language allowing male participants to engage in inappropriate behavior under the guise of content creation, further fostering an unsafe atmosphere for women on set.
One of the plaintiffs, identified as Contestant 5, stated, “I expected to be challenged, but I didn’t think I would be treated like nothing – less than nothing.” The complaint also claims that several contestants required hospitalization due to physical and mental strain caused by the competition’s extreme conditions.
Contestants allegedly faced deprivation of sleep and basic hygiene, as well as dangerous circumstances during the filming of the show, including insufficient medical staff to attend to injuries.
Labor violations
In addition to claims of sexual harassment and mistreatment, the lawsuit outlines broader allegations of labor violations, asserting that contestants were misclassified as independent contractors to avoid paying proper wages and benefits. It also accuses the production team of manipulating contestants’ expectations by misleading them about the nature of the competition and their odds of winning. Originally advertised as a contest with 1,000 participants, the number was reportedly reduced upon the contestants’ arrival, significantly lowering their chances of securing the $5 million prize.
The lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of all participants in Beast Games, demanding that MrBeast’s production company and Amazon pay unpaid wages, reimburse business-related expenses, and provide punitive monetary damages for the physical and emotional suffering endured by contestants.
Robert Pafundi, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said in a statement, “Participants entered into contracts and were promised compensation for their services. Their expectation of compensation, along with being consistently under the control and supervision of the production staff, makes them employees under California law. When you add extreme neglect, degradation, harassment, and inhumane conditions, it’s a massive dereliction of duty.”
Representatives for MrBeast and Amazon have not yet responded to the lawsuit. A release date for Beast Games on Prime Video has not been announced. Amazon has described the show as the “world’s largest live gameshow” with “the biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming.”
