MrBeast is called the nicest guy on the internet – now he’s facing a 54-page lawsuit

Half a billion fans, a personal fortune of millions of dollars and a global business empire.

It would take a lot to dethrone YouTube’s biggest influencer, Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast.

But a 54-page court document could prove to be his toughest test yet.

Five female contestants from the upcoming Prime Video show Beast Games are taking legal action against its production company MrB2024 and Amazon in Los Angeles.

Billed as the biggest reality competition ever, 1,000 contestants will compete for a $5 million (£3.7 million) prize when the show airs – or if it does. The lawsuit has plunged the show into crisis.

The legal document omits many pages, including allegations that they “particularly and collectively suffered” in an environment that “systematically perpetuated a culture of misogyny and sexism.”

It strikes at the heart of MrBeast’s image as one of the nicest guys on the internet.

I leafed through the document, which includes suggestions that participants were “malnourished and overtired.” Meals were provided “sporadically and sparingly,” which, it is claimed, “jeopardized the health and well-being” of participants.

In a section that suppresses nearly all of the claims from public view, it states that the defendants “created, permitted and promoted a culture, pattern and practice of sexual harassment, including in the form of a hostile work environment.”

In August, the New York Times spoke to more than a dozen participants in the (as-yet unreleased) show and reported that there had been “multiple hospitalizations” on set. One person told the newspaper that he had gone more than 20 hours without food.

Participants also claimed that they did not receive their medications on time.

The BBC has approached MrBeast and Amazon. MrBeast has not yet responded publicly.

Will these latest allegations damage the popularity of the king of YouTube?

Increasing fame and philanthropy

MrBeast is no stranger to controversy this year – and has emerged unscathed each time.

In July, the 26-year-old American said he had hired investigators after his former co-host Ava Kris Tyson was accused of manipulating a teenager.

Ava denies the allegations but apologizes for her “past behavior,” which was “not acceptable.”

MrBeast said he was “disgusted” by the “serious allegations”.

Further allegations about business practices later surfaced on an anonymous YouTube channel claiming to be a former employee. The BBC has not been able to independently verify the claims or the identity of this person.

Some of his philanthropic initiatives, such as building water wells in Africa and paying for surgeries for people with impaired vision and hearing, have been criticized for being exploitative.

“Deaf people like me deserve better than MrBeast’s latest inspirational porn,” one person told the Independent last year.

But his empire continues to grow. The day before the lawsuit was dropped on Wednesday, he unveiled a team-up with fellow celebrity faces KSI and Logan Paul — a new food line designed to challenge Lunchables.

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