MrBeast and Amazon are facing a class action lawsuit from five contestants from their “Beast Games” competition show for a slew of allegations — including sexual harassment, failure to pay, false advertising and emotional distress.
According to the Monday lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the five unnamed contestants allege that some of the show’s initial 1,000 participants have not been paid. Additionally, some female contestants allege that the producers on the $100 million dollar production “failed to provide a safe and healthful place of employment to the particular and collective detriment of the female contestants, who suffered sexual harassment.”
There was apparently a so-called “How to Succeed in MrBeast Production” handbook that stated: “It’s OK for the boys to be childish” and “if talent wants to draw a dick on the white board 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,” per the legal docs. As such, “‘Beast Games’ created hostile conditions where women were forced to endure the severe embarrassment.”
The five contestants also claim the show “intentionally misclassified” them as volunteers in order to “avoid their employment obligations under California law and to wrongfully receive unearned tax credits from Nevada.”
Despite a seemingly thorough application process, the contestants say they were subsequently treated to the “strictest control” that included “denying them all privacy and access to the outside world,” being “fed sporadically and sparsely” and not being given “adequate access to hygienic products or medical care.” They further allege they were forced to sign “an unconscionable agreement with illegal and unenforceable terms.”
Amazon had promoted the show as “the world’s largest live gameshow” with the “biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming” at $5 million for the winner.
In addition to the above complaints, the plaintiffs also accuse the production of failure to prevent harassment, failure to pay minimum wages, failure to pay overtime, overall unfair business practices and failure to provide uninterrupted meal or rest breaks. They demand a jury trial.
The new lawsuit echoes a similar report from The New York Times last month.
MrBeast’s teams did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment. Amazon declined comment.
Variety was first to report the news.
