Full Timeline of the MrBeast Controversy — Ava Tyson, Dogpack404, Rosanna Pansino
Since 2017, James "MrBeast" Donaldson has reigned as one of the internet's most beloved personalities and the most successful YouTuber. In 2024, serious allegations are arising about what sinister behavior may lurk beneath the MrBeast channel's surface. Here's a summary of who MrBeast is, what allegations he is involved in and a timeline of relevant events.
Who is MrBeast?
James "MrBeast" Donaldson is an American entrepreneur and YouTuber. He owns the YouTube channel with the most subscribers on the platform. He has over 310 million subscribers on YouTube and 103 million on TikTok. MrBeast skyrocketed in popularity in 2017 with a viral video where he counted to 10,000 in one sitting, and his popularity surged again in 2020.
MrBeast is famous for his philanthropy and competition-focused content. He often makes videos where contestants have to compete for a specific amount of money or a prize such as a house, car or even a yacht. He also creates videos where he participates in challenges: for example, spending seven days in a cave.
In addition to his main YouTube channel, MrBeast runs several others: MrBeast Gaming, MrBeast 2, Beast Philanthropy and Beast Reacts. In 2020, MrBeast founded MrBeast Burger, a virtual restaurant chain. He followed this launch with the snack brand Feastables in 2022. He co-founded and assists two philanthropy organizations, Team Trees and Team Seas.
MrBeast's extravagant videos are not a one-person job — James Donaldson has a team of employees who assist in his ventures. In his videos, he is often accompanied by collaborators. MrBeast's most well-known collaborators, the MrBeast crew, are Chandler Hallow, Garrett Ronalds and Karl Jacobs. Jake Franklin left the group in 2020 and as of 2024, MrBeast has cut ties with former member Ava 'Kris' Tyson.
What is the MrBeast Drama?
The MrBeast drama includes allegations that several employees Donaldson knowingly hired had groomed minors, allegations that MrBeast's videos and contests were faked and accusations of mistreatment from former employees. Harassment and grooming accusations arose about Ava Tyson, MrBeast's former employee, and one of MrBeast's cameramen. Former employees have leaked company documents and come forward about dangerous and unethical experiences on set.
MrBeast has announced since that he is "hiring an independent third party" to investigate Ava's actions. The law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan is conducting the investigation. He has not yet addressed the additional employee harassment, fake video and employee mistreatment allegations.
Donaldson has reportedly hired Harvey Weinstein's lawyer and is facing massive backlash from the internet. The MrBeast channel is heavily censoring and deleting comments on its videos. MrBeast's public perception has taken a noticeable hit, and his channel has lost over 12 million subscribers.
A Full Timeline of the MrBeast Drama:
- June 13, 2024: YouTuber Prism42 uploads a video titled "Chris Tyson [now Ava Kris Tyson] Talked Inappropriately to a 13-year-old." This video exposed Ava Tyson's inappropriate online interactions with a middle schooler known online as Lava when Ava was 20 and Lava was 14. The interactions allegedly included conversations about explicit photos, Ava Tyson sending Lava kiss emojis, saying she loved him, calling him 'dad' and Ava Tyson later meeting with Lava in person.
- July 22, 2024: Lava initially states on Twitter that "Kris did nothing wrong" and says he was not groomed.
- July 23, 2024: Ava Tyson posts on Twitter.com stating "I would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone [...] we’ve mutually decided it’s best I permanently step away from all things MrBeast and social media to focus on my family and mental health." In a follow-up tweet, Tyson denies the grooming claims stating "I never groomed anyone."
- July 24, 2024: MrBeast posts a Twitter response to the Ava Tyson allegations saying he is "disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts" and will be "hiring an independent third party to conduct a thorough investigation."
Over the last few days, I’ve become aware of the serious allegations of Ava Tyson's behavior online and I am disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts.
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) July 25, 2024
During that time, I have been focused on hiring an independent third party to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure…
- July 24, 2024: A man named Nathan W alleges in a video on Twitter that he was groomed by Ava Tyson on a Discord server when he was 15. Nathan says he and Lava would do unpaid work for Tyson and he would frequently show them explicit images and make explicit jokes while they were underage. Nathan W provides screenshots in a video to support his allegations.
- July 26, 2024: Nathan W and MrBeast's former server moderator Cookie begin releasing full Discord chat logs showing Ava Tyson's inappropriate behavior with minors and implicating other MrBeast channel members. The full chat logs were hosted on GitHub. These chat logs contain evidence of explicit, inappropriate conversations with minors and indicate that MrBeast may have been aware of what was going on.
- July 24, 2024: YouTuber DogPack404 posts a video exposing MrBeast's business practices which gets 14 million views. He accuses MrBeast of faking his videos using CGI and post-production. DogPack 404 alleges MrBeast's videos are scripted and his 'random subscriber' contestants are usually friends or paid actor employees. He also alleges MrBeast's giveaways are rigged and could be 'illegal lotteries'.
- July 26, 2024: Lava posts an update stating "after reading the [Ava Tyson] chat logs, this stuff was inappropriate and wrong [...] These conversations should not have happened with people at the age I was at the time, I strongly condemn them."
Based on the recent screenshots and messages I would like to say a statement about the “Discord”.
— Lava (@LavaGS) July 26, 2024
This was 5 or 6 years ago and I thought I had a good memory of situation but I was wrong. After reading the chat logs, this stuff was inappropriate and wrong. I spoke based on my…
- July 31, 2024: GitHub is allegedly threatened with legal action and removes all the MrBeast server chat logs.
- August 2, 2024: A New York Times article emerges exposing dangerous conditions and serious injuries on the set of MrBeast's reality competition Beast Games.
- August 7, 2024: DogPack404 releases a second video titled "I Worked For MrBeast, He's A Sociopath". In this video, he interviews a former MrBeast employee who exposes alleged favoritism, unethical working conditions and exploitation within the company. He also goes over a leaked MrBeast company document containing a paragraph titled "No Does Not Mean No" encouraging employees to harass collaborating parties for videos. The former employee Jake Weddle also alleges MrBeast knowingly hired a registered offender. Former employee Jake Franklin later confirms this on Twitter. MrBeast begins deleting and heavily censoring comments on the YouTube channel.
- August 12, 2024: YouTuber Rosanna Pansino posts a tweet alleging MrBeast has hired one of Harvey Weinstein's lawyers to handle the controversy.
- August 13, 2024: MrBeast's girlfriend Thea Booysen says in a comment reply "Half the things that are said are not true. I wouldn't be with him if they were."
- August 17, 2024: Rosanna Pansino alleges on twitter that a contestant with over 20 charges and a violent record was allowed to compete on Beast Games.
- August 28, 2024: MrBeast has reportedly hired the same lawyer as Elon Musk, sending a cease and desist to DogPack404. He has threatened to take him to court if the videos continue.
GABBY DESENA