YouTuber MrBeast has been named in court documents alleging contestants were “shamelessly exploited” in his upcoming series Beast Games.
Participants in the show have filed lawsuits against production companies involved in the show, including MrB2024 and Amazon.
The series, first announced in March, offered 1,000 entrants the chance to win a $5m (£3.5m) cash prize and promised to be the biggest live game show in the world.
But in a case filed Monday in a Los Angeles court, participants said they were not paid, were subjected to unsafe conditions and were subjected to sexual harassment.
The MrB2024 channel is “owned in whole or in part, directly or indirectly” by MrBeast – whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson – the world's largest YouTuber with more than 300 million subscribers, the documents say.
BBC Newsbeat has contacted MrBeast and Amazon for comment.
In legal documents, portions of which have been redacted, five anonymous contestants filed a lawsuit on behalf of everyone who participated.
They claimed the production team kept them under surveillance, controlled their bedtime, what they wore and denied them privacy and access to the outside world.
The report stated that they “suffered from malnutrition and extreme exhaustion” and that meals were provided “intermittently and poorly,” which “endangered the health and well-being” of the contestants.
The 54-page document also includes allegations of an unsafe environment with contestants held in small areas and dangerous groups, and inadequate background checks to allow convicted criminals to participate.
He said some of them suffered physical injuries and did not receive adequate medical care.
“Culture of misogyny”
The group is also said to have “promoted a culture of misogyny and sexism”, creating a “hostile environment” for women that included sexual harassment.
“This was not only evident, but was permitted,” the document states. “This was clearly allowed because of orders from above.”
Lawyers for the contestants say they should be compensated for their time, which they say was “essential work” for the production, and argue they were “not working for free” and should have been classified as employees.
All plaintiffs are seeking thousands of dollars for everyone involved in the “unpaid wages” coverage.
Two of the listed plaintiffs, women, are also seeking additional damages for hostile workplace allegations.
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