Five former contestants have decided to file a lawsuit on behalf of all contestants against MrBeast’s production company and Amazon for “chronic mistreatment and sexual harassment.”
YouTuber MrBeast is getting deeper into controversy. According to information gathered by the BBC, the videographer’s production company and Amazon are being sued by some Beast Games participants.
As a reminder, the most followed videographer on YouTube has been facing numerous controversies for several weeks surrounding Beats Gamesa new reality show that the influencer is launching on Amazon Prime. In August, several candidates and team members denounced already a lack of hygiene and food during filming.
“Shamelessly exploited”
Since then, five former anonymous candidates have decided to file a complaint on behalf of all participants this Monday, September 16 for “chronic mistreatment and sexual harassment.”
They claim in particular to have been “shamelessly exploited”, not to have been paid and to have been subjected to dangerous conditions. In detail, the production teams allegedly monitored them, checked their sleeping hours, their meals and their clothes.
The 54-page document details allegations of a dangerous environment, including candidates being herded into small areas and dangerous sets. Background checks, which were deemed inadequate, allegedly allowed criminals to participate in filming. Some participants were also allegedly injured, and medication and underwear were lost on set.
“Several participants ended up being hospitalized, while others reported suffering physical and mental complications while being subjected to chronic abuse, degradation and, for female candidates, hostile working conditions,” the participants’ attorneys said in a statement cited by Variety.
Cases of sexual harassment
Indeed, the filming allegedly “fostered a culture of misogyny and sexism,” which “created a hostile environment” for women, one of the former candidates said in the complaint. According to the document, cases of sexual harassment “were not only noticed, but allowed.”
The complaint cites instructions from MrBeast’s “How to Succeed in Production” manual, among other things. “If the talent wants to draw a penis on the whiteboard in the video or do something stupid, let them… Really do everything you can to empower the guys on set and help them create content,” the manual reads.
The five former candidates are hoping to obtain compensation from the production companies as well as a sum sufficient to cover unpaid salaries.
Contacted by the BBCAmazon and MrBeast did not respond to requests for comment. Last August, the videographer blamed the poor organization on external factors, including the global computer outage.
