Making deals with prominent online personalities can be a blessing and a curse, and Amazon seems to be experiencing the negative repercussions of its high-stakes decision.
In March, Amazon (AMZN) announced a deal with MrBeast to produce a reality TV competition series that would be streamed on Prime Video, Amazon's streaming platform.
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Amazon (AMZN) is a successful multinational technology company, so it only made sense for the tech giant to join forces with an equally powerful partner.
James Donaldson, popularly known by his online username MrBeast, is a 26-year-old YouTuber who has become an internet personality, successful businessman, and philanthropist thanks to the unwavering loyalty of his over 316 million YouTube subscribers.
In the deal, MrBeast proposed a show to Amazon called "Beast Games," a reality TV competition series in which 1,000 contestants compete for a $5 million prize by doing a series of challenges.
This $100 million production was expected to be a complete success thanks to MrBeast's prominent internet influence, but instead, it became a serious liability.
Former Mr. Beast fans file a lawsuit
On Monday, five contestants who appear on Mr. Beast's reality TV show "Beast Games" filed a class-action lawsuit in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, Central District against MrB2024, Mr. Beast's production company, Off One's Base, another production company, and Amazon Alternative which the lawsuit describes as the "unscripted television division of Amazon Studios."
The plaintiffs claim they suffered unlawful employment conditions while on the show, alleging they were denied payment, were forced to partake in unsafe and dangerous acts, were mistreated, and female contestants were sexually harassed.
In the lawsuit, these contestants are demanding the payment they failed to receive during their time in the show by attributing 14 causes of action that breach California labor, employment, and consumer protection laws.
According to the plaintiffs, the production company found a loophole to ignore labor laws and deny them their rights by misclassifying them as independent contractors instead of employees.
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For confidentiality reasons and the well-being of the former contestants, the lawsuit has been redacted, and the plaintiffs are not specifically named in it; instead, they are identified by the title 'contestant,' followed by the numbers 1-5.
Although MrBeast owns the production company, he is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. However, his company is, which might require his involvement if the case goes to trial.
Amazon declined to comment for this story.
The once-loved MrBeast lands himself in controversy again
This is not the first time MrBeast has landed himself in a controversy.
Last month, YouTuber Rosanna Pansino leaked a handbook titled "How to Succeed in MrBeast Production," which allegedly promoted inappropriate behavior and a hostile work environment at MrBeast's production company.
Although this leak could be damaging evidence in the potential trial, there is no verification that the handbook is confirmed property of the production company or any of its employees.
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In June, another member of MrBeast's company was accused of inappropriate behavior.
Ava Kris Tyson, the executive assistant and a close friend of MrBeast, left the company after being accused of grooming a minor by having inappropriate conversations via multiple social media channels.
Although not directly linked to the lawsuit, these multiple cases relating to controversial actions made by members of MrBeast's company could be used against the defendants if the lawsuit goes to trial.
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