MrBeast and Amazon are being sued by contestants from the upcoming competition show, Beast Games, for “inhumane” working conditions, alleging sexual harassment and failure to pay minimum wage.
On September 16, 2024, a complaint was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court alleging “chronic mistreatment” from the contestants who participated in the Beast Games production, implicating MrBeast and Amazon.
The Beast Games is a reality game show which has a $5 million cash prize and is set to debut on Amazon Prime Video. Back in May 2024, applications for the competition were opened to the public, with MrBeast saying they needed 5,000 competitors.
The lawsuit was brought by five contestants, all of whom are unnamed, and is also filed on behalf of all the others who participated.
In the redacted filing, it alleged MrBeast and Amazon had not paid contestants their minimum wages and overtime and that some even faced sexual harassment.
The lawsuit reads, “Several contestants [ended] 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.”
In the lawsuit, they claim that contestants were deprived of food, sleep, and medical care, not providing the necessities of basic hygiene. Additionally, it claims various participants suffered injuries during its filming.
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Much of the lawsuit is redacted, in particular to references to cases of sexual harassment.
“The female contestants particularly and collectively suffered as a result of [MrBeast and Amazon’s’] actions,” wrote the lawsuit. “The Beast Games work environment systematically fostered a culture of misogyny and sexism where Production Staff did nothing.”
As for the missing wages, the complaint outlined that none of the contestants were volunteering, being promised they would be compensated for their participation in the Beast Games.
However, according to the lawsuit, MrBeast and Amazon requested a redacted amount of money from the Contestants to reimburse them for the production companies’ expenses.
As of writing, MrBeast nor Amazon have responded to the lawsuit.