Currently the most-subscribed YouTuber MrBeast, James “Jimmy” Donaldson, has fallen into a pit of controversy in the media within the past few months. Allegations of hiring employees with a history of grooming minors, faked videos and contests, and accusations of mistreatment of former employees affect his reputation.
For several years, MrBeast increasingly grew in popularity, particularly during the COVID lockdown. His fame skyrocketed, and his videos garnered, on average, over 150 million views per video
in 2020.
On July 24, a YouTuber named Dawson French, or “DogPack404,” posted a video where he accused MrBeast of faking his videos. DogPack criticizes MrBeast for often claiming that viewers would have a chance to win rewards if they were to subscribe to
his channel.
DogPack claimed that MrBeast was more likely to select people he knew or people that are famous, insinuating that MrBeast was running illegal lotteries. He and fellow YouTuber, Rosanna Pansino, also accused MrBeast of mistreatment of contestants on his Amazon Prime show, Beast Games, alleging that medication and other personal items were withheld from contestants.
DogPack later posted a second video on August 7, 2024, continuing his allegations against MrBeast.
Previous allegations against MrBeast had transpired prior to DogPack’s videos, beginning with grooming allegations thrown at MrBeast’s co-star and longtime friend Ava Kris Tyson on June 13. Claims state she was inappropriately interacting online with a then 13-year old gamer named LavaGS, when Tyson was 20, which ultimately led to her removal from the MrBeast channel.
Another major hit to MrBeast’s public image was Lunchly, a collaboration between MrBeast and YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI. Lunchly was advertised to be a healthier alternative to Lunchables, a lunch meal kit targeted towards children, which includes MrBeast’s Feastables chocolate bar and Paul & KSI’s PRIME drink. Lunchly released amidst the turmoil against MrBeast, however, claims circulated the media that the meal was moldy, despite having later expiration dates.
With all of these allegations against MrBeast, he was essentially ridiculed across the internet, with countless memes being made to target him. Remarks like “Five Nights at MrBeast’s,” a comment mocking the popular video game Five Nights at Freddy’s, could be seen across social media.
Despite most alleged claims against MrBeast, his credibility, reputation, and YouTube channel has taken serious damage because of all the controversies and allegations. As more people view MrBeast as dishonorable, many still watch and support his content.