YouTuber MrBeast acknowledges ‘inappropriate language’ in earlier videos

NEW YORK – MrBeast, a popular American YouTube star known for arranging complex stunts and giving away cash to people who take part in his videos, acknowledged in a statement this week that he had used “inappropriate language” in some of his earlier videos.

MrBeast, 26, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has faced backlash in recent weeks over a video in which he made comments about buying black people.

His representative on Aug 1 shared the statement which had been earlier reported by The Associated Press.

“When Jimmy was a teenager, he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” the representative said.

“Over the years, he has repeatedly apologised and has learnt 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.”

The remarks came as he faced accusations that he had manipulated some of his contests and videos.

Donaldson’s YouTube channel is one of the most popular on the video platform, with more than 307 million subscribers. On his channel, which has more than 800 highly produced videos, he is known for elaborate stunts and for giving away money.

In one of his most recent videos, he gathered 50 popular YouTubers inside a large cube with a simple objective – last person standing wins US$1 million (S$1.34 million).

In another video, his friend had to complete six dangerous obstacle courses to win a prize of US$800,000.

The videos, however, have received mixed reactions over the years, especially from critics who say his generous acts are done to gain views, not out of selflessness.

More recently, he drew backlash after several of his earlier videos circulated on social media.

In one undated video, he responds to a comment from a viewer about selling black people for money.

“The most I would pay is like US$300,” he says. “Sorry, US$400 is just out of my price range for that type of stuff.”

In another clip, from a podcast in 2017, Donaldson asked a friend whether he would have sex with Bhad Bhabie, the American rapper whose real name is Danielle Bregoli and was about 14 at the time. Donaldson also made a reference to her breasts in the clip.

Over the past week, he has also faced claims that some of his videos are fake and that he is a fraud.

In a video uploaded to YouTube on July 24 titled I Worked For MrBeast, He’s A Fraud, a former employee said that some videos on the MrBeast channel are altered and suggested that Donaldson manipulates some of the lucrative competitions in his videos.

Mr Chucky Appleby, who works with Donaldson, said in a statement on social platform X on July 29 that he had fired that worker for “erratic behaviour”.

“I want to specifically address him saying our videos are fake or staged, because this is not true and I was on set for many of these videos,” Mr Appleby wrote.

Last week, Donaldson posted a statement on X in which he addressed “serious allegations” against Ms Ava Kris Tyson, another popular YouTuber who apologised for past behaviour that was not discussed in detail.

Without describing any allegations, Donaldson said he had removed Ms Tyson from his company and channel. He also said he was hiring “an independent third party” to investigate the claims and that he did not condone “any of the inappropriate actions”. NYTIMES