MrBeast’s Production Company Sued for Sexual Harassment
Beast Industries by James “Jimmy” Donaldson (aka MrBeast) has been accused of sexual harassment and gender bias at the workplace by a former employee. A lack of firm guidelines and worker protections in the company is also central to the complaint. The representative of Beast Industries vehemently denied these claims.
Lorrayne Mavromatis, the ex-employee, alleged in her complaint that Beast Industries had a lack of basic workplace protections. An example she gave was the employee handbook Donaldson gave her. “How to Succeed in MrBeast Production,” she said, did not contain standard employment policies and practices.
The handbook had directives like “Do everything you can to empower the boys when filming.” Other dubious directives include “No Does Not Mean No” and “The amount of hours you work is irrelevant.”
Aside from the dubious directive in the handbook, Mavromatis also said she witnessed other female employees being sexually harrassed. The acts were allegedly condoned and perpetrated by their supervisors.
Sexual harassment and gender bias in MrBeast’s company
In the suit, Mavromatis accused the company’s former CEO, James Warren, of sexual harrassment by making her meet him at his home for one-on-one meetings and complimenting the way she looked in her clothes. Warren told her to dismiss a male client’s unwelcome advance, to treat it instead as a compliment.
Mavromatis would elaborate on the sexual harassment claim further in a TikTok video she released. Warren also told Mavromatis that Donaldson gets awkward around attractive women. Warren supposedly told her at the time, “Lorrayne, let’s say when you’re around and he needs to go to the restroom? He’s not really using the restroom.”
The ex-employee said she was treated differently from her male counterparts. She claimed she was told to “shut up” during a staff meeting. She was called “dumb” after suggesting a business idea, only for a male counterpart to be praised for giving the same idea. Male executives also allegedly joked about female contestants of BeastGames who complained about having no access to feminine hygiene products.
The complainant also said that she was a “rising star” in the company who had been promoted twice during her first year of employment. However, after complaining about the company’s lack of basic employment protections, Mavromatis was subjected to a negative transfer, demotion, and ultimately, termination. She was terminated three weeks after returning from maternity leave and replaced with a man.
Needless to say, if the claims are proven true, it would be damning against MrBeast’s media empire.
Claims dismissed as ‘clout chasing’
A representative for Beast Industries said, “This clout-chasing complaint is built on deliberate misrepresentations and categorically false statements, and we have the receipts to prove it.”
They added, “There is extensive evidence, including Slack and WhatsApp messages, company documents, and witness testimony, that unequivocally refutes her claims. We will not submit to opportunistic lawyers looking to manufacture a payday from us.”
Social media disgruntled by MrBeast rep’s response
Not everyone was enthusiastic about the company’s response to the allegations. Many online found it inappropriate to describe the serious charges as mere “clout-chasing.”
Content creator Rosanna Pansino, who is often critical of MrBeast, tweeted about the allegations against MrBeast. She alleged, “I have talked to dozens of former MrBeast employees over the last 2+ years and what this new lawsuit alleges is only the tip of the iceberg. MrBeast’s lawyers will try to slander her, but the truth is slowly catching up. I hope this goes to discovery. It gets much, much worse at Beast Industries.”
(featured image: Wired)
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