‘Beast Games’ contestants sue MrBeast and Amazon, alleging abusive conditions on set of game show

MrBeast and Amazon Studios are being sued by contestants on the upcoming reality competition series, “Beast Games,” who allege unsafe and abusive conditions on set.
Five anonymous contestants who competed on “Beast Games” filed a class-action lawsuit in Los Angeles on Monday against MrBeast — whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson — and Amazon Studios, the streaming platform behind “Beast Games,” per The Washington Post.
Plaintiffs claim they were “fed sporadically and sparsely,” “not given adequate access to hygienic products or medical care” and that the set was a “hostile work environment for the female contestants,” according to a redacted copy of the 54-page complaint obtained by Variety.
Plaintiffs also allege they were not properly compensated for their time spent filming the show.
The suit demands Donaldson and Amazon pay all contestants unpaid wages and also asks for “punitive damages.”
“As extreme as the allegations against defendants are here, the law could not be more clear,” said Robert Pafundi of Pafundi Law Firm, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, per Variety.
“Participants entered into contracts and they were promised compensation for their services. Their expectation of compensation, along with them being consistently under the control and supervision of the production staff, makes them employees under California law. As such, they were entitled to, and denied, certain protections. And when you add to that the extreme neglect, degradation, harassment and inhumane conditions — it’s quite simply a massive dereliction of duty, for which the defendants must and will now be held accountable.”
Donaldson announced plans in March to partner with Amazon Studio to create the “the largest game show in history.”
He struck a deal with Amazon because the streaming platform offered his team “the most creative control,” whereas other platforms suggested restraints on creativity, Donaldson revealed on “The Colin and Samir Show.”
Production for the series began in July, and, soon after filming started, accusations emerged about poor treatment on set, as previously reported by the Deseret News.
“While participants knew upon signing the contract at the production’s inception that they were facing a potentially long and challenging competition, they allege getting a lot more than they bargained for,” attorneys for the anonymous “Beast Games” contestants said in a statement about the lawsuit, per TIME. “Several contestants ending up hospitalized, while others reported suffering physical and mental complications while being subjected to chronic mistreatment, degradation and, for the female contestants, hostile working conditions.”
Plaintiffs allege the environment on “Beast Games” “fostered a culture of misogyny and sexism,” per the suit.
“I expected to be challenged, but I didn’t think I would be treated like nothing — less than nothing. And as one of the women, I can say it absolutely felt like a hostile environment for us. We honestly could not have been respected less — as people, much less employees — if they tried,” a female plaintiff, identified as “Contestant 5″ said in a statement, per Variety.
Neither Donaldson nor Amazon Studios have commented on the lawsuit yet.
“Beast Games” contestants and crew have both alleged poor working conditions on set of the show, noting an inadequate amount of food and water and lack of access to medical assistance, as the Deseret News previously reported.
A representative for MrBeast called those early allegations “inaccurate,” per Vital Vegas.
Crew who worked on “Beast Games” have alleged that MrBeast and his partners took on more than they were capable of managing.
“It’s a Fyre Fest kind of feeling,” one crew member who worked in Toronto and left the production early told Rolling Stone. “There’s a reason why this level of production hasn’t been attempted before, and it certainly should never have been attempted without people that know what they are doing.”
Others have offered similar accounts.
“We were treated horribly,” a contestant told The New York Times in August. “They took on this challenge of 2,000 competitors. They should have known they needed an enormous crew to handle this correctly.”
According to a MrBeast spokesperson, “The MrBeast Las Vegas promotional video shoot, which included over 2,000 participants, was unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues, which we reviewed, and we are grateful that virtually all of those invited to Toronto enthusiastically accepted our invitation,” per Rolling Stone.
“We communicated directly with 97 percent of the 2,000 people who attended to ask for feedback, and took the necessary steps to ensure that we learned from this experience, and we were excited to welcome the hundreds of men and women who participated in the world’s largest game show in history.”