MrBeast's Crisis PR Team Led by Former Exec at Harvey Weinstein's Miramax
Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify Matthew Hiltzik's position and affiliation with Harvey Weinstein
As the controversies have continued to pile up, Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson has reportedly hired a prominent PR firm that has left some fans speculating about his response strategy.
Over the past few months, the streaming community has been scrutinizing MrBeast. Former employees have shared concerning accusations, including MrBeast faking giveaways, hiring sex offenders, and torturing video participants. As the allegations continue, MrBeast has possibly hired a PR firm that is rubbing the content creation community the wrong way.
MrBeast Has Hired Attorney Affiliated with Harvey Weinstein's Miramax
YouTuber and entertainer Rosanna Pansino has been following the MrBeast mess from the start.
In fact, she has been one of the first people to accuse him of faking challenge videos, pointing out on an H3H3 podcast that she had won a game but the video showed MrBeast's friends, including Logan Paul, getting the prize money for first place. She later reported on MrBeast's Netflix show, claiming she got letters from participants who claimed they weren't being treated fairly and that the show was rigged and unfair.
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Now, Pansino has tweeted that MrBeast hired Matthew Hilzik's crisis management company. Hiltzik previously served as the SVP of Corprate Communications and Governement relations at Weinstein's Miramax and now represents politicians and Hollywood A-listers. A lot of fans took MrBeast's alleged hiring of Hiltzik as a sign of guilt — or at least fear.
MrBeast has hired Matthew Hiltzik's Crisis Management Company. Matthew Hiltzik began his PR career at Weinstein's Miramax. Matthew Hiltzik is a Lawyer and Publicist who represents Politicians and Hollywood Figures.
— Rosanna Pansino (@RosannaPansino) August 12, 2024
Shortly after MrBeast hired Matthew, a MrBeast Company email was…
Pansino then claimed that Hiltzik's first move with MrBeast was to have him "leak" an email. This, she said, was an attempt at rebuilding MrBeast's image.
The email was written by MrBeast and directed at his team, stating that he hired law firm team Quinn Emanual to investigate the Ava Tyson allegations and additionally do an assessment of "our internal culture." In the email, MrBeast claims this investigation is not complete but he has learned enough to "make several changes."
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It concluded: "As your leader, I take responsibility, and I am committed to continue to improve and evolve my leadership style. While I have been mostly focused on creating content, launching Feastables, building our community, and leading our philanthropic efforts, I recognize that I also need to create a culture that makes all our employees feel safe and allows them to do their best work."
Pansino's accusations were met with doubt from some of MrBeast's fans. Many have continued to call her out for being "salty" after she lost the challenge video. But others have agreed with her investigation into MrBeast, pointing out that the letter did feel a bit strategic.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!