MrBeast, the most popular individual YouTube creator on the platform, acknowledged in a statement provided by his rep that he had used “inappropriate language” in the past “while trying to be funny.” The statement comes after an old video clip of MrBeast making racist and homophobic comments on a livestream were circulated recently on social media.
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has gained a massive fanbase for his videos featuring zany stunts and big-money giveaways. He currently has 307 million subscribers on his primary YouTube channel.
“When Jimmy was a teenager he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” according a statement from MrBeast’s rep provided to PvNew. “Over the years he has repeatedly apologized and has learned that increasing influence comes with increased responsibility to be more aware and more sensitive to the power of language. After making some bad jokes and other mistakes when he was younger, as an adult he has focused on engaging with the MrBeast community to work together on making a positive impact around the world.”
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MrBeast was responding to recent criticism to comments he is heard making in a 2017 clip from one of his livestreams, which was shared on X by YouTuber Rosanna Pansino in a July 24 post on X.
In the video clip, MrBeast reads a viewer’s comment asking about “‘selling N-word for $400 money’,” to which he replies, “The most I would pay is probably 300 [dollars]. Sorry, 400 is just out of my price range for that type of thing.” At another point, MrBeast says to one participant, “Shut the fuck up, you stupid faggot.” The video also appears to show a viewer repeatedly using the N-word in the chat, after which MrBeast asks the audience to stop using the word.
In another recent controversy, MrBeast last week responded to allegations that one of his co-hosts, Ava Kris Tyson, engaged in “grooming” of a minor. In a post on X, MrBeast said he was “disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts” and that he had hired a third-party investigator to look into the claims. Tyson has denied the grooming allegations.
Donaldson, 26, recently inked a deal with Amazon’s Prime Video for “Beast Games,” a reality-competition show promising the winner a $5 million cash prize. The show will feature 1,000 contestants vying for the payout in a “fast-paced and high-production format,” according to Prime Video. No premiere date has been announced.
