MrBeast’s team is pushing back on the allegations that make his competition reality series “Beast Games” out to be the literal Hunger Games, with a source telling The Post exclusively that they “acknowledge the need for improvement.”
The world’s most popular YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has come under fire again after several “Beast Games” contestants alleged they were deprived of food and medicine while they vied to win a $5 million grand prize.
Speaking with The New York Times, one contestant said, “We signed up for the show, but we didn’t sign up for not being fed or watered or treated like human beings.” Several contestants described one meal they received as only including a “tiny portion of cold oatmeal, one hard-boiled egg and a few pieces of raw vegetables.” Another person said they saw other contestants vomiting, passing out, and being removed on stretchers.
Now, MrBeast is speaking out, with a source close to the production of “Beast Games” telling The Post that some of the problems on set came down to a “miscommunication.”
In a statement given to The Post, a spokesperson for MrBeast’s company said, “The MrBeast promotional video shoot, which included over 2000 participants, was unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues, which we are currently reviewing, but we are grateful that virtually all of those invited to Toronto for our next production have enthusiastically accepted our invitation.”
The spokesperson added, “We have communicated directly with 97% of the 2000 people who attended to ask for feedback, have launched a formal review of the process, and have taken steps to ensure that we learn from this experience and we are excited to welcome hundreds of men and women to the world’s largest game show in history.”
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a source close to production suggested to The Post that some of the hullabaloo is overblown and pushed back on the notion that the Beast Team doesn’t care for the wellbeing of “Beast Games” contestants.
“Anyone involved with a production of this size recognizes that something will inevitably go wrong, but there was such a small percentage of people affected and there was personalized calls to over 2000 people to follow up [which] demonstrates how much the Beast Team values every single person,” they said.
“There were definitely some mistakes and they will be addressed in the future,” the source added.
“There was less than 1% of people complaining. Nearly 100% [of the finalists] confirmed their participation in the actual show with hundreds more requesting to be put on a waitlist.”
The source described the situation as “unfortunate” and “definitely something that needs to be avoided going forward.”
Regarding claims that medications were not provided to contestants who needed them, the source said, “That was a miscommunication. There were local folks brought on temporarily for the production who may have decided to have their own messaging which was not in line with the official direction.”
According to The Times’ reporting, several contestants said they did not receive their medication on time from production staff despite reassurances that they would. Contestants were required to turn in all medications upon arrival.
One competitor said she was denied food when she needed it to take her medication, claiming production staff told her she didn’t need to eat. Ultimately, she said she was given half a banana.
The source close to the “Beast Games” production insisted that the individuals involved in allegedly denying medications to contestants were not members of the official MrBeast team.
Regarding contestants recalling that some of their fellow competitors were hospitalized, the source said that “less than 10 hospitalizations” took place, which “included things like sprained ankles and bruised shoulders.”
The source added that local crew members hired in Toronto for the second round of the competition will get clear instructions on protocol for interacting with contestants and that an investigation into what went wrong in the first round of the competition is ongoing.
Donaldson, 26, made a name for himself producing videos that often include outlandish challenges and huge cash prizes.
“Beast Games,” co-produced with Amazon MGM Studios, was announced in March of 2024, and MrBeast’s fans quickly jumped at the chance to take home the $5 million prize – the largest in streaming and TV history.
In July, two thousand finalists showed up at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders, for the first round of competition. At the end, one thousand were chosen to advance to the next round which will film in Toronto in August.
