MrBeast’s media company has been sued by a former employee over claims of sexual harassment and workplace gender bias.
The 27-year-old, real name Jimmy Donaldson, is the world’s most-followed YouTuber and employs more than 500 people.
Lorrayne Mavromatis, a former executive who worked for his company Beast Industries between 2022 and 2025, alleged harassment of women employees was “condoned” and complaints were not taken seriously at the business.
A representative for Beast Industries described the allegations as “categorically false” in a response to BBC Newsbeat.
Mavromatis first joined the company as its head of Instagram before being promoted.
In court documents she claims she was sacked from her role after “complaining about a workplace that suffered from a lack of basic employment protections”.
In the lawsuit she alleges sexual harassment of other female employees was “both condoned and/or perpetuated by their supervisors”, adding she was also “treated differently than her male counterpart”.
Mavromatis says she was told her claims were “unsubstantiated” when she complained about the “hostile environment she and other women were experiencing”.
In one example listed in court papers, Mavromantis says she asked former Beast Industries CEO James Warren why Donaldson would not work with her on certain projects.
The lawsuit claims Warren told her she was “a beautiful woman and her appearance had a certain sexual effect on Jimmy”.
She further alleges being “promptly demoted and transferred to an obscure role known by [company] employees as the division where ‘careers go to die’.”
According to the complaint, Mavromantis was fired less than three weeks after she returned from pregnancy-related leave and told she was “too high-calibre” for the role.
Mavromatis says she has suffered “mental anguish, humiliation, embarrassment” and “damage to her emotional and psychological well-being” due to “MrBeast’s conduct and the adverse employment actions”.
She is seeking “lost wages, lost benefits, reinstatement” and various forms of damages.
A representative for the company has described the claims as a “clout-chasing complaint” which is “built on deliberate misrepresentations and categorically false statements”.
“We have the receipts to prove it,” they told Newsbeat.
They said the company had “extensive” evidence including messages, documents and witness testimony that “unequivocally refutes” Mavromantis’ claims.
“We will not submit to opportunistic lawyers looking to manufacture a payday from us,” they added.
A Beast Industries representative also told US entertainment website Variety Mavromantis’ firing was not linked to performance.
They said roles held by both men and women were eliminated at the same time during a re-organisation of the entire team.
Donaldson, who boasts more than 470 million subscribers, has faced legal proceedings before.
He was previously named in court documents alleging contestants in his reality show Beast Games were “shamelessly exploited” – allegations he denied, saying they were “blown out of proportion”.
In 2024, he hired investigators after a former co-host was accused of grooming a teenager, with lawyers later finding the allegations were “without basis”.
By BBC News
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