MrBeast Company och Beast Industries drabbade av trakasserier från tidigare chef för sociala medier

Former Beast Industries social media executive Lorrayne Mavromatis has filed a federal lawsuit against the company behind MrBeast, alleging sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, and retaliatory firing after she returned from maternity leave. According to the Los Angeles Times, the complaint was filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Mavromatis, a Brazilian-born social media professional hired in 2022 as head of Instagram, claims the company's former CEO, James Warren, summoned her to his home for one-on-one meetings where he commented on her appearance. She says Warren dismissed her complaints about unwanted advances from a male client, telling her she should be honored that the client was hitting on her.

When Mavromatis asked why Donaldson himself refused to work with her, she says she was told her appearance had "a certain sexual effect on Jimmy," and "Let's just say that when you're around and he goes to the restroom, he's not actually using the restroom."

Mavromatis alleges Donaldson told her she would only participate in a video shoot if she brought him a beer. She says a male colleague told her to "shut up" during a staff meeting when she asked a question. At the Greenville, N.C. headquarters, she says male executives mocked female BeastGames contestants who complained they lacked access to feminine hygiene products and clean underwear during production.

The complaint alleges Mavromatis was urged to join a conference call while in labor and was expected to work during maternity leave, which she says violates the Family and Medical Leave Act.

In November 2023, Mavromatis formally complained to then-head of HR Sue Parisher, who is Donaldson's mother, according to the suit. She says the company had no method to report harassment anonymously or to a third party. Employees were instead expected to follow the company handbook, "How to Succeed In MrBeast Production," which the complaint says included the lines, "It's okay for the boys to be childish," "if talent wants to draw a dick on the white board in the video or do something stupid, let them," and "No does not mean no."

Beast Industries denies the allegations. Spokesperson Gaude Paez said the company possesses Slack and WhatsApp messages, company documents, and witness testimony that refute the claims.

"This clout-chasing complaint is built on deliberate misrepresentations and categorically false statements, and we have the receipts to prove it. There is extensive evidence — including Slack and WhatsApp messages, company documents, and witness testimony — that unequivocally refutes her claims. We will not submit to opportunistic lawyers looking to manufacture a payday from us."

— Gaude Paez

Paez called the allegation about Donaldson's bathroom behavior "ridiculous" and "fabricated for the sole purpose of sparking headlines." The company says Mavromatis's role was eliminated during a reorganization of an underperforming group and that she was informed of this.

Donaldson, 27, started MrBeast as a teen gaming channel. Beast Industries is now valued at roughly $5 billion, employs about 500 people, and its YouTube channels count 450 million subscribers. Its reality series Beast Games airs on Amazon Prime Video. I find the gap striking between the slogans in the internal handbook and the public-facing brand that partners with Amazon and stocks Feastables chocolate at Walmart. Mavromatis says she was one of the few women in a senior role at what the complaint describes as a "male-centric workplace."

I read the handbook excerpts as the most concrete element in the filing, because, unlike disputed conversations, they exist on paper. The case now moves to federal court in North Carolina, where discovery will test the company's claim that it holds evidence refuting each allegation.

PUBG Mobile recently teased a potential MrBeast collaboration ahead of its 8th anniversary update, underscoring how far Jimmy Donaldson's brand now reaches beyond YouTube.