The beginning of August was not a good day for Jimmy Donaldson, aka Mr. Beast, as several contestants on his Amazon-MGM Studios game show Beast GameThe YouTube star denounced the unsafe and borderline negligent filming conditions.
In a shocking report The New York TimesSeveral contestants spoke to the outlet about serious production flaws, including claims of inadequate food provided, inadequate medical care, and physical injuries suffered by contestants completing the show’s challenges.
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The first shoot of the reality show Held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, nearly 2,000 contestants competed for a $5 million first place prize. Contestants ate, slept and essentially lived in the stadium during filming, surrendering all food, clothing and, oddly, medication to staff.
Meals were very small, with staff handing out cold oatmeal, raw vegetables, and boiled eggs to participants. The only other food given to participants was a Mr. Beast brand Feasible chocolate bar. Medications given to participants by staff were not immediately replenished, with one participant claiming that he had not needed insulin for days. Another participant claimed that when he told staff that he needed to eat with his medication, staff ignored him and reluctantly gave him “half a banana.”
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Among the complaints filed were: The New York Times There were also issues with sleep deprivation, filming at night and having to sleep on the grass of a Las Vegas stadium in the sun during the day, and the women who competed in the competition also claimed there was sexism, with some competitors being forced to not wear underwear during their period because menstruation was “not a medical emergency”.
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The report revealed that anonymous attendees felt the production team had not adequately prepared for the number of attendees at the event. In fact, many were told the initial attendance would be closer to 1,000, leading some to feel cheated. However, Donaldson’s introductory video claims that the YouTube star had initially anticipated 2,000 people, but cut it down to half that number for the actual show.
“MrBeast’s promotional video shoot, which involved over 2,000 people, was unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unforeseen logistical and communications issues. We are currently under review,” a MrBeast representative said. The New York Times“But we’re grateful that almost everyone who was invited to Toronto for our next performance enthusiastically accepted our invitation.”
Mashable has reached out to a representative for MrBeast and will update if we hear back.
