Fans of YouTube sensation Mr. Beast, were shocked to find out about his past criminal record.
Known for his over-the-top challenges, massive giveaways, and viral stunts, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is also famously tight-lipped about his personal finances, despite Forbes reporting that he earned $85 million in 2024.
A 2018 mugshot of MrBeast, the philanthropic YouTube star, has recently surfaced amid a class-action lawsuit filed by former contestants of his upcoming gameshow for alleged ‘chronic mistreatment,’ including sexual harassment.
On January 21, 2018 around 2:30 a.m. one night, MrBeast along with two other drivers was pulled over by police on a North Carolina highway after reportedly driving at 122 mph, per the Tarboro Police Department.
According to the Tar River, two vehicles were racing each other when MrBeast, who was 19 at the time, was stopped. He was arrested and taken into custody, facing charges of speeding in a 70 mph zone, reckless driving, and engaging in a speed competition. He was held on a $100,000 bond.
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, was arrested in 2018 for reckless driving and engaging in a speed competition
Fans speculate that MrBeast was driving a BMW i8, a car he had recently bought and flaunted in a now-deleted video
Fans speculate that MrBeast was driving a BMW i8, a car he had recently bought and flaunted in a now-deleted video.
In the video, he revealed that he financed the car not only with his YouTube income but also by selling some of his cryptocurrency holdings.
News of the arrest caught many fans off guard.
‘This is something that the YouTube community doesn’t know yet. Pretty surprising tbh,’ said a Reddit user.
Another commented, ‘I did not know MrBeast got arrested before.’
‘Well, this is surprising, like what the f**k,’ said a third.
While MrBeast has never publicly commented on his 2018 arrest, he did recently address the sexual misconduct allegations surrounding his company.
MrBeast is the target of a class action lawsuit, along with Amazon, which picked up the show
Five anonymous competitors say they were subjected to a toxic working environment, which included unchecked sexual harassment against female contestants
The 26-year-old content creator is the target of a class action lawsuit, along with Amazon, which picked up his upcoming game show.
Five participants of the forthcoming Beast Games are suing the internet personality, alleging ‘unreasonable, unsafe and unlawful employment conditions.
They claim production teams maintained ‘the strictest control’ over them, including removing their belongings and withholding food, water and medical care to the extent that several contestants were hospitalized for dehydration.
They also accuse the Youtuber of fostering a ‘toxic and hostile’ work environment, particularly for female participants, as a result of ‘boys-will-be-boys working conditions seemingly promoted by Mr Donaldson,’ per the filing.
In August, reports surfaced that YouTuber MrBeast hired high-priced celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro to address allegations from a former employee. This ex-employee, Dawson French, used online aliases to accuse MrBeast of manipulating his extravagant giveaways and knowingly employing a sex offender.
MrBeast has remained silent on the claims, but a cease-and-desist letter reportedly sent by Spiro to French accuses him of spreading ‘misinformation and false statements.’
MrBeast’s company is also accused of withholding food, water, medical supplies and hygiene products during production
The letter, obtained by DailyMail.com, threatens legal action and seeks damages if French continues posting under the aliases MrBeastCreative and DogPack404.
French, contacted by DailyMail.com, countered with a serious accusation: ‘MrBeast has knowingly kept rapists and pedophiles on payroll (allegedly for legal reasons, but I believe some were convicted).’
MrBeast boasts a staggering 327 million followers, making him the most-followed individual on YouTube.
He also oversees four additional channels, each with over 25 million subscribers.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk