Five contestants from MrBeast's reality competition show, "Beast Games,"have filed a class-action lawsuit against the show's production company and Amazon.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday (September 16) in a Los Angeles court, accuses the production of not paying the contestants, forcing them into unsafe conditions, and creating a "culture of misogyny and sexism."
Contestants Sue MrBeast's "Beast Games"
The lawsuit involves the Amazon Prime Video show "Beast Games," which was announced in March and offers a $5,000,000 prize with many contestants. The show's creator, MrBeast, whose real name is Donaldson, had promoted it as having "over 1,000 contestants" and setting "many world records."
However, the lawsuit claims the working conditions were unsafe, leading to several contestants being hospitalized. The 54-page lawsuit describes "unreasonable, unsafe, and unlawful employment conditions."
Contestants said they were given food only sometimes and had limited access to hygiene supplies or medical care. Some even had to go to the hospital because of these conditions. The lawsuit also mentions sexual harassment, but specific details were not included in the document.
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Lawsuit Alleges Illegal Practices on "Beast Games" Set
Additionally, the lawsuit accuses the production company of using an "illegal contract" and giving false information to Nevada to get tax credits, according to Gizmodo. This false information supposedly helped the show receive $2.5 million in state incentives to film in Las Vegas.
A recent report from The New York Times highlighted similar concerns about dangerous conditions on set. The newspaper reported that some contestants were seen being taken away on stretchers, and there were cases of people passing out and vomiting.
The Times also noted that several people were hospitalized during filming. A spokesperson for MrBeast said that the production faced problems due to unexpected issues like extreme weather and logistical difficulties, and a formal review of the show is underway.
MrBeast, who has one of the most popular YouTube channels with 245 million subscribers, has faced controversy before. In 2017, a video response from MrBeast to a controversial comment drew criticism.
These new allegations add to past complaints about working conditions on the "Beast Games" set. Some contestants said they did not get enough food and had trouble getting medical care. According to the lawsuit, despite the show's $100 million production budget, these issues persisted.
A previous report also claims that contestants were misled about the number of participants and their chances of winning the prize. The show initially advertised having 1,000 contestants but later revealed there would be 2,000. Some participants felt tricked about their chances of winning the $5 million prize.
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