Contestants on MrBeast’s upcoming competition series have sued the popular YouTube star’s production company and Amazon for sexual harassment, failure to pay minimum wages, and infliction of emotional distress, among other allegations, reports the
Los Angeles Times (18 September, Carras). The plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, accusing Amazon Alternative, MrB2024, and another production company, Off One’s Base, of subjecting them to “unreasonable, unsafe, and unlawful employment conditions.” The complaint identifies several of the contestants as Los Angeles County or California residents. The plaintiffs allegedly were hired to appear on “Beast Games,” billed by Amazon as “the biggest reality competition series,” boasting 1,000 contestants and a $5-million prize. The show was set to premiere on the tech company’s streaming service, Prime Video. The lawsuit alleges that the companies failed to compensate the contestants with minimum wages or overtime pay while denying them mandatory meal and rest breaks, among other provisions. The employers also stand accused of “fudging” the production’s labor costs in documents submitted to the Nevada Film Commission to qualify for the state’s tax credit program. While filming the series, the contestants were allegedly “held under strict control and surveillance for days on end” and denied “all privacy and access to the outside world.” The complaint further alleges that the contestants “were fed sporadically and sparsely” and “not given adequate access to hygienic products or medical care.”
From "YouTuber MrBeast, Amazon Sued over ‘Hostile Work Environment’ on ‘Beast Games’"
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