MrBeast has addressed past controversies head-on, acknowledging his use of “inappropriate language” during his early days online.
The statement came after clips from his 2017 podcast resurfaced, where a younger Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, was heard making racial and highly inappropriate comments.
The ongoing controversy surrounding the YouTube star also includes allegations against his longtime collaborator Ava Kris Tyson for “grooming” an underage follower.
MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, admitted to using inappropriate language during his early online days
Image credits: MrBeast / Instagram
Image credits: MrBeast / Instagram
With 307 million subscribers on YouTube, MrBeast has the most-subscribed channel on the video-streaming platform and has a $700 million empire, according to AP News. However, at the moment, his reputation is under fire after clips from his past have resurfaced.
One particularly controversial clip from 2017 showed a young Jimmy responding to a viewer’s comment about “selling Black people for money.”
“The most I would pay is probably 300,” he said in the clip that was laden with racially insensitive remarks.
Another disturbing clip from a podcast in 2017 featured the content creator making inappropriate comments about rapper Bhad Bhabie, whose real name is Danielle Bregoli. At the time, Bhad Bhabie was only 14 years old, and the YouTube big shot suggested he would have sex with her.
In one 2017 clip that recently resurfaced, the internet star claimed he would pay "probably 300" if someone was "selling Black people for money"
After being swept up in a wave of controversy, a spokesperson for the YouTuber released a statement addressing his “bad jokes” and “other mistakes.”
“When Jimmy was a teenager he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” the statement said. “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.”
Fellow content creator Leon Lush addressed another controversial clip, where MrBeast said something brazenly inappropriate about rapper Bhad Bhabie, who was only 14 years old at the time
“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 statement continued.
The recent revelations came amid serious grooming accusations against Ava, who allegedly sent inappropriate messages to a minor.
MrBeast released a statement about Ava’s departure from his channel and said, “Over the last few days, I’ve become aware of the serious allegations of Ava Tyson’s behavior online and I am disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts.”
MrBeast has the most-subscribed channel on YouTube and currently has more than 307 million subscribers
“During that time, I have been focused on hiring an independent third party to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure I have all the facts,” he continued. “That said, I’ve seen enough online and taken immediate action to remove Ava from the company, my channel, and any association with MrBeast. I do not condone or support any of the inappropriate actions.”