MrBeast Sued for Contestant Mistreatment on Beast Games

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Amazon and YouTube star MrBeast, alleging severe mistreatment of contestants during the production of the upcoming reality competition show, Beast Games.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of five unnamed contestants, claims that participants were subjected to “chronic mistreatment,” sexual harassment, and dangerous working conditions while competing for a $5 million prize in the upcoming Prime Video series.

The complaint was submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, September 16th, and accuses MrBeast’s production company, Amazon, and independent production firm Off One’s Base LLC of multiple violations. Those include failing to pay minimum wages and overtime, neglecting to prevent sexual harassment, and the “infliction of emotional distress” on contestants. The lawsuit also alleges that the production did not provide adequate meal or rest breaks and exposed participants to hazardous conditions.

Attorneys for the unnamed contestants allege that those competing got “a lot more than they bargained for,” with “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.”

One of the plaintiffs, identified only as “Contestant 5,” described the set as a “hostile environment” for women. “I expected to be challenged, but I didn’t think I would be treated like nothing — less than nothing,” she stated.

A prominent piece of evidence presented in the lawsuit is an alleged employee handbook from the production, titled “How to Succeed in MrBeast Production.” The document reportedly encouraged staff to support outlandish behavior from the show’s male participants, stating, “If talent wants to draw a dick on the whiteboard in the video or do something stupid, let them… Really do everything you can to empower the boys when filming and help them make content. Help them be idiots.”

The lawsuit is seeking class-action status on behalf of all affected contestants from Beast Games and demands that MrBeast, Amazon, and the other production companies involved pay the allegedly unpaid wages. It also calls for unspecified punitive damages. Read a redacted copy of the complaint here (via Variety).

Beast Games, touted by Amazon as “the world’s largest live gameshow,” has yet to announce a release date. The series, which features more than 1,000 participants competing for what Amazon claims is the “biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming,” is still in production.

Other competition reality shows have been subject to similar criticisms recently. Last November, contestants from The Squid Game reality show, Squid Game: The Challenge, threatened a lawsuit over poor treatment and injuries allegedly sustained while filming the show.