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Famous YouTuber MrBeast is one of the world’s most influential people, but he has recently been embroiled in allegations. MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, owns YouTube’s most subscribed channel, boasting 308 million subscribers. His YouTube channel features videos showing contestants as they navigate elaborate challenges in a quest to win huge sums of money or other lavish gifts. MrBeast’s videos and philanthropic nature have earned him a massive worldwide following. However, despite being loved by millions worldwide, MrBeast has not been spared from controversies. Recently, his name trended for the wrong reasons after another YouTube influencer, Rosanna Pansino, shared a disturbing video from his past. Here is what we know about the recent MrBeast allegations, recent troubles and how he has reacted
MrBeast’s Rise to Fame
MrBeast began posting content on YouTube in 2012 at the age of 13. Then, he posted under the name MrBeast6000. His content mainly consisted of Let’s Plays, focused on Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Minecraft. He also posted videos about the estimated wealth of other YouTubers and guides to becoming a content creator on the video-sharing platform. MrBeast gradually gained popularity but rose to fame in January 2017 after he posted an almost day-long video of him counting to 100,000. The video became viral, earning him tens of thousands of views. Since then, MrBeast’s fame has known no bounds as he has enjoyed more success. Besides his YouTube empire, MrBeast has other ventures, including the now-defunct MrBeast Burger and the food company Feastables, which has a brand of chocolate bars. He also has several investments and partnerships.
MrBeast’s Past Controversies
Having posted hundreds of videos on YouTube, it is unsurprising that MrBeast has endured several controversies. For instance, he was accused of animation theft after he and his friends were stranded at sea for seven days. After the video of MrBeast and his friends went live, it was hit with a copyright claim. Someone alleged MrBeast used a stolen piece of animation. However, the original animator clarified that he created it for free and non-commercial use.
MrBeast has also been criticized for destroying expensive things in his videos, all in a bid to gain numerous views. The YouTuber faced more scrutiny after launching his burger brand, which sadly didn’t turn out well. After two years of losses, MrBeast attempted to discontinue the brand but not without taking his distribution partner, Virtual Dining Concepts, to court over the snack’s poor quality. However, Virtual Dining Concepts disputed MrBeast’s claims and insisted his burger brand grew his fame.
In addition to these controversies, MrBeast’s former employees have accused him of creating a toxic work environment. They claimed he frequently overworked staff and failed to credit them for their work. MrBeast was also accused of using demeaning ableist slurs. However, he never commented nor responded to these accusations.
MrBeast’s Past Online Transgressions Put Him in a Bad Light
Although MrBeast has seen his fair share of controversies, his reputation has never really been questioned. However, he recently suffered a big hit on his persona when Rosanna Pansino, who claimed to have worked with MrBeast on several potential business ventures, circulated a video from 2017. The video, which Pansino shared on X, showed a much younger MrBeast responding to a viewer’s comment about selling Black people during a live session. MrBeast responded to the comment by saying, “the most I would pay is probably 300.” Additionally, MrBeast used a homophobic slur several times in the video. However, he eventually asked his viewers to stop using a racial slur after one of them repeated it.
Speaking to AP, Pansino said MrBeast’s content hasn’t always been family-friendly. She said:
“His first videos, where he was trying to be an edgy gamer and streamer, and he said horrible things and nasty things — I didn’t know that. I had no idea that history was there.”
Meanwhile, another old video from MrBeast’s appearance on a podcast in May 2017 was unearthed. In it, the YouTuber seemed to suggest he would have sex with rapper Bhad Bhabie, real name Danielle Bregoli. While it isn’t a crime for one to express their sexual desires, the problem with MrBeast’s comments was that Bregoli was 14 years old at the time. YouTube swiftly removed the resurfaced video for violating its community guidelines.
The podcast’s co-host, Leon Lush, in defending MrBeast, shed light on the latter’s comments. He explained that MrBeast clarified his comments later in the podcast’s episode, saying he wouldn’t sleep with Bregoli because she was “way too you.” He also said MrBeast had joked that they should “say something offensive that people can take out of context.” Leon further expressed that MrBeast’s worst offense was being unfunny, adding that though his comments appeared cringe in hindsight, the outcry that resulted from it was a “molehill turning into a mountain.”
MrBeast’s Longtime Collaborator in Controversy
The controversy surrounding MrBeast’s resurfaced comments from the past were worsened because they came after his longtime collaborator, Ava Kris Tyson, was accused of interacting inappropriately with minors online. Netizens unearthed Tyson’s past interactions with a teenage fan. One of these old conversations included public posts of Tyson and the underage fan discussing anime pornography and nude photos. However, the fan took to X to clarify the situation, denying any exploitation. The fan further said the accusations against Tyson were “Massive lies and twisting the truth.”
Meanwhile, Nate Weyman shared a post on X, revealing he and the underage fan did unpaid technical work running Tyson’s streams. During this period, they played video games together for many hours. Weyman also revealed that Tyson had a private Discord server consisting of about 10 people, mostly minors around 14 years old. He claimed Tyson frequently spammed the server with pornographic images.
Following the controversy, Tyson announced she was departing from all things related to MrBeast and social media. MrBeast also expressed his disgust about the allegations against Tyson, saying he was opposed to such unacceptable acts. He also said he would hire independent investigators to probe the matter.
MrBeast Acknowledges His Mistakes
On July 31, 2024, MrBeast acknowledged using inappropriate language in his early days as an online influencer. In a statement to AP, MrBeast’s spokesperson said:
“When Jimmy was a teenager he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny.” They added, “Over the years he has repeatedly apologized and has learned that increasing influence comes with increased responsibility to be more aware and more sensitive to the power of language. After making some bad jokes and other mistakes when he was younger, as an adult he has focused on engaging with the MrBeast community to work together on making a positive impact around the world.”
MrBeast’s Deal With Amazon Faces Scrutiny
In March 2024, MrBeast and Amazon MGM Studios announced the creation of a reality TV competition series named Beast Games. The games, which would air exclusively on Prime Video, would have 1000 contestants, making it the biggest reality competition series. The contestants will battle for a cash prize of $5 million, which is also the record for the largest single prize in TV and streaming history.
However, Beast Games continues to face criticism following some contestants’ complaints about being denied food, water, medications, and beds during the series’ production. Reports revealed several contestants were hospitalized during filming, while some others claimed many people got injured while partaking in the challenges. Meanwhile, Pansino continually posts some of the contestants’ complaints and many other irregularities with the Beast Games in her bid to show why the show should be stopped. However, MrBeast has yet to react to these complaints and reports, although one of his employees debunked the claims in an X post.
What Next for MrBeast?
As it stands, MrBeast looks like he is continuing to prepare for the Beast Games premiere. It remains to be seen if he will comment on the continuous claims and negative reports about the series’ contestants’ welfare. The YouTuber’s reputation is being questioned amid recent revelations and his statement. However, millions of people worldwide still adore him. Only time will tell if his past transgressions and complaints about the Beast Games will damage his brand even further. However, MrBeast has been through some rough storms before and will hope to breeze through these setbacks.
