Former exec alleges MrBeast's companies sidelined her after she reported harassment, pushed her to work while on maternity leave and later terminated her in retaliation
A former senior executive at the MrBeast media empire has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that she was fired shortly after she returned from maternity leave, adding that the organisation operated a "boys' club" workplace that ignored sexual harassment complaints.
The media business is owned by James Donaldson, a YouTube star known as MrBeast, who has more than 479 million subscribers in the video-sharing platform and has previously been recognised among the world's 100 most influential people.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Lorrayne Mavromatis accuses MrBeastYouTube, LLC and GameChanger 24/7, LLC of violating the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), wrongfully firing her under North Carolina law, and causing her emotional distress.
Mavromatis joined the company in August 2022 as head of Instagram, was quickly promoted to head of creative, and later to COO for verticals, ultimately earning US$250,000 and overseeing about 20 employees and a monthly budget of roughly US$500,000.
Workplace culture at Beast Industries
The complaint describes the broader MrBeast operation – referred to as "Beast Industries" – as having grown from home‑produced YouTube videos to a 500‑employee media and merchandising enterprise.
Internally, however, it allegedly "operated like a start‑up" without standard employment policies.
Instead of an employee handbook, the company circulated a document titled "How to Succeed In MrBeast Production," which according to the complaint, included sections such as "It's okay for the boys to be childish" and advised staff that "No Does Not Mean No" and "[t]he amount of hours you work is irrelevant."
Mavromatis further alleges that as one of the few women in a high‑level role, she faced a hostile, male‑centric environment.
She claims she was excluded from otherwise all‑male meetings with Donaldson, told by a male colleague to "shut up" and "stop talking" in front of subordinates, and then asked by Donaldson to fetch him a beer before he would participate in a video shoot, a task she says she never saw imposed on male staff.
Sexual harassment complaints, alleged retaliation
The lawsuit alleges that former CEO James Warren held one‑on‑one meetings with Mavromatis at his home in a "dimly lit" upstairs room and made inappropriate comments about her appearance.
When she asked why Donaldson would not work with her on certain projects, Warren allegedly told her: "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."
Mavromatis and other women also complained, according to the filing, about a producer's unwelcome comments and touching, as well as a wealthy client's romantic advances.
The complaint states that Warren dismissed her concerns and told her she should be "honoured that a billionaire was hitting on her."
In November 2023, Mavromatis lodged a formal complaint with head of human resources Susan Parisher, who is also Donaldson's mother.
She outlined "sexually inappropriate encounters and harassment, and demeaning and hostile work environment" but was later told her claims were "unsubstantiated," the filing says.
On 23 January, 2024, roughly two months after the complaint, Mavromatis was demoted and transferred from COO for verticals to social media manager for the merchandise division.
The new role had no direct reports, limited access to executives, and, she alleges, was known internally as the place where "careers go to die."
Pregnancy and termination
In January 2025, Mavromatis informed her supervisor she was pregnant and would need maternity leave. The complaint asserts that MrBeast did not provide the legally required FMLA notices detailing her rights and eligibility.
After giving birth on 31 March, 2025, and while her baby was in the neonatal intensive care unit, Mavromatis says she was repeatedly asked to work during what should have been protected leave.
The complaint describes her working on a merchandise launch throughout April, managing a physically demanding company event just three weeks after childbirth, and later travelling to Brazil for a video shoot.
Mavromatis alleges she "feared retaliation" if she refused, citing the internal production handbook's directions to "get the job done at any personal cost" and to "pull all nighters," and claims she even joined a work call from the labour and delivery room.
But less than three weeks after returning to full‑time work, on 6 November, 2025, she was told her position was being eliminated.
According to the complaint, she was informed she was "too high caliber" for the role to which she had been demoted. She declined a severance package that required a release of claims and alleges that a man was later hired to perform similar social‑media duties.
Mavromatis says she has since suffered severe depression, anxiety and "suicidal ideation," requiring ongoing psychiatric treatment. She is seeking back pay, benefits, reinstatement or front pay, liquidated damages under the FMLA, compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys' fees, and injunctive relief.
The complaint also states that she has a pending charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and intends to add federal sex‑discrimination claims under Title VII once she receives a Notice of Right to Sue.
Beast Industries disputes claims
Beast Industries strongly disputes Mavromatis's claims. In a statement to The Associated Press, a company spokesperson called the lawsuit a "clout‑chasing complaint" built on "deliberate misrepresentations and categorically false statements."
The statement claimed that Mavromatis's job was eliminated as part of a reorganisation by a new head of ecommerce.
The company also shared with AP a Slack exchange in March 2025 in which a coworker told Mavromatis she "shouldn't even be checking" messages while she wrote she was in labour, and a screenshot showing her signature acknowledging receipt of an employee handbook that included FMLA policies
"We will not submit to opportunistic lawyers looking to manufacture a payday from us," the company said in the statement, as reported by The Associated Press.
