Former employee Lorrayne Mavromatis has filed a federal lawsuit against Beast Industries over alleged wrongful termination. She claims she was fired shortly after returning from maternity leave.

The lawsuit includes allegations of sexual harassment, gender bias, and retaliation against several high-level staff at the organization during her time at the company from August 2022 to early 2024.

And some of the inappropriate conduct is leveled against company founder and influencer MrBeast himself, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson.

Forced labor

Mavromatis claims she had to work around the clock before and after going into labor, even completing tasks while in the delivery room of the hospital.

"I was still bleeding, and I just had to show up,” she told The Associated Press. The allegation persists despite the company claiming that Mavromatis signed a receipt acknowledging the company's working policies, and Slack screenshots showing the employee being advised not to work.

Mavromatis overall described a “toxic, misogynistic” workplace culture. She alleges years of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior from leadership.

In fact, as part of her lawsuit, Mavromatis produced a handbook called “How to succeed in MrBeast production,” which says “the amount of hours you work is irrelevant” and “it’s okay for the boys to be childish.

A cited comment from a senior executive suggests normalization of inappropriate conduct.

Twinkle in his eye

Apparently, HR failed to raise any issues when approached by Mavromatis regarding allegations of improper conduct. One of the more significant issues was regarding MrBeast himself.

Mavromatis approached Donaldson's cousin, the then-CEO, James Warren, to inquire why MrBeast wouldn’t make eye contact with her.

The response that came back said, “Jimmy gets really awkward around beautiful women…Let’s just say that when you're around, and he goes to the restroom, he's not actually using the restroom.”

When Mavromatis pressed further, the company backtracked and said the regular bathroom visits were down to his Crohn's disease.

The defendant’s denial

Beast Industries denies all allegations, calling the lawsuit “false” and “clout-chasing.” The company says her role was eliminated due to restructuring, not retaliation.

Furthermore, the company provided internal Slack messages suggesting she was told not to work during labor, and she claims she acknowledged the company's policies, including rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

The lawsuit resurfaces past controversies around MrBeast’s company culture. Previous allegations included offensive language and misconduct by collaborators.

The conversation on this topic is live. Join in the discussion.

Internal investigations reportedly found “isolated instances” of workplace harassment.

Beast Industries now employs around 700 people amid rapid expansion into media and finance.

The timing overlaps with a major PR moment: MrBeast being honored on TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People list.