Jimmy Donaldson, the YouTube star better known as MrBeast, faced some of the most intense scrutiny of his career last week as numerous controversies surrounding his production blew up on social media.
The 26-year-old became the biggest YouTuber in the world through his unique videos featuring big stunts and even bigger giveaways on his channel, where he has 308 million subscribers. But he now finds himself at the center of mounting criticism on social media, citing speculation that he must’ve known about his former collaborator Ava Kris Tyson’s inappropriate messages to a minor as well as allegations that his new Amazon Prime Video show had unsafe working conditions and that he made racist and homophobic comments in the past.
Donaldson said in a post on X that he didn’t know about Tyson’s messages. His spokesperson said Donaldson has apologized for his past comments. The team behind the reality series is also “currently reviewing” the on-set complications that occurred during the show’s shoot in Las Vegas in July.
The criticism does not seem to have swayed the creator, who has gained about 3 million subscribers since the incident involving Tyson incited backlash toward him in late July, according to social media analytics website Social Blade. His Amazon competition series, which the streaming giant reportedly paid him $100 million to make, is set to continue filming. Many major sponsors of MrBeast’s brand, including the video game Monster Hunter Now and Samsung, have not publicly issued any response to the recent backlash.
Representatives for YouTube and Amazon Prime Video did not respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Samsung, and Niantic and Capcom, the developers of Monster Hunter Now, also did not respond to requests for comment.
Large creators who often face widespread backlash, or “cancellation” as some fans put it, have historically been able to rebound from it. Donaldson continues to put out content and grow his brand despite the controversies.
“The thing about being a content creator, in general, is there’s really no mechanisms for accountability, even when you do get to be as big and famous as Mr. Beast,” said Jessica Maddox, an assistant professor of digital media technology at the University of Alabama. “In fact, I’d argue, actually, the bigger you get, the less mechanisms for accountability there are because platforms don’t want to necessarily ban you or block you because you’re one of the biggest sources of attention to their platform.”
More of NBC News’ past coverage of MrBeast:
The recent backlash began after Tyson stepped down from the MrBeast channel on July 23 after being accused of inappropriately interacting with a minor through public posts referencing nude photos, sex and hentai, which means anime porn. Some fans questioned if Donaldson was aware of Tyson’s behavior and allowed it to happen.
“Over the last few days, I’ve become aware of the serious allegations of Ava Tyson’s behavior online and I am disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts,” Donaldson posted on X on July 24.
Donaldson also said in the post that he hired “an independent third party to conduct a thorough investigation” into her behavior. When asked if Donaldson had previously been aware of Tyson’s messages, a spokesperson referred NBC News to Donaldson’s X post.
In the following days, Donaldson was criticized over reports that contestants on his upcoming Amazon Prime Video reality show “Beast Games,” which began shooting in Las Vegas last month, were subjected to unsafe conditions.
“Beast Games” was ordered to series in March — it promised a winner a cash prize of $5 million, the “biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming,” according to a news release from Amazon MGM Studios. One thousand contestants are expected to compete, according to the release, which also described the show as “the biggest reality competition series ever.”
The series marks Donaldson’s first foray into the traditional media landscape. In the announcement from Amazon, Donaldson was praised by Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, for capturing “the attention and imagination of fans of all ages, from all walks of life, and all over the world.”
But behind the scenes, the high-stakes production appeared to encounter some setbacks.
Rosanna Pansino, a YouTuber who previously competed in Donaldson’s Creator Games series, made various X posts on July 26 claiming that contestants reached out to her to allege there were hospitalizations, sleep deprivation, lack of medication and lack of food on set.
Safety concerns were initially reported by the news outlet Vital Vegas on July 18. The New York Times, which interviewed a dozen anonymous contestants, reported on Aug. 2 that contestants sustained injuries and had inadequate access to food and medical care.
