Ontario labour ministry investigating injury on Toronto set of 'Beast Games'

Jimmy Donaldson, the popular YouTube video maker who goes by MrBeast, wears a Lionel Messi jersey as he stands in a sideline box at the start of an MLS soccer match between Inter Miami and CF Montreal, March 10, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Ontario's labour ministry is investigating an industrial accident on the Toronto set of "Beast Games," the newly released Prime Video competition series from YouTube star MrBeast.

The ministry says a worker was injured by falling wood on Sept. 11 on the set, a miniature village constructed for the show on the grounds of the former Downsview Airport.

The labour ministry did not share the extent of the person's injuries, citing the ongoing investigation, but it says the employers — Blink 49 Studios and Manhattan Beach Studios — were each issued a "requirement." A ministry spokesperson did not say what that was.

Neither company responded to requests for comment, nor did Prime Video.

Toronto Police say they, too, were called to the set that day, but the incident is not criminal in nature so they are not investigating.

An investigation published by Rolling Stone last week containing broader allegations about conditions on the set reported that a worker was injured on Sept. 11 when "a six-foot by six-foot piece of the exterior of the tower fell on a crew member while the set was being packed away," but the labour ministry wouldn't confirm those details.

"Beast Games" is the latest output from Jimmy Donaldson, whose YouTube channel MrBeast boasts 340 million subscribers: the most of any user on the video-sharing platform.

The 26-year-old from Kansas made a name for himself online by attempting outlandish stunts and giving away eye-popping amounts of money.

In the Prime Video series that premiered earlier this month, a thousand people compete for the chance to win US$5 million. Many of the challenges call on contestants to either sacrifice their own chance at winning the money, or that of a teammate.

The show has already been beset by controversy. In September, five unnamed participants in an initial tryout that was filmed in Las Vegas for Donaldson's YouTube channel filed a lawsuit against the creator and his production company.

They accused Donaldson of creating "unsafe” employment conditions, including sexual harassment, and misrepresenting contestants’ odds at winning.

In a post on the social media platform X, Donaldson wrote that the claims were "blown out of proportion," and he would release behind-the-scenes footage to demonstrate that once the show came out.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2024.