A former MrBeast executive says she was pressured to join a team meeting from a hospital delivery room while in active labour, was told her looks had a 'sexual effect' on the YouTube billionaire, and was fired three weeks after returning from maternity leave, a federal lawsuit claims.
Lorrayne Mavromatis, 34,lodged the complainton 22 April in the US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The filing accuses MrBeastYouTube LLC and GameChanger 24/7 LLC of violating the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), alongside wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
A post shared by Lorrayne Mavromatis (@lorraynemavromatis)
Beast Industries, worth about $5 billion (£3.7 billion) and employing roughly 750 people, denies the allegations and has called the complaint 'clout-chasing'.
Mavromatis alleges the companycirculated a 36-page employee handbooktitled 'How to Succeed in MrBeast Production' that told staff 'no does not mean no' and that 'the amount of hours you work is irrelevant.'
The document also reportedly stated 'it's okay for the boys to be childish' and instructed workers to 'empower the boys when filming.'
The lawsuit describes a 'boy's club' culture where female employees were excluded from all-male meetings and harassed without consequence.
Mavromatis says former chief executive James Warren, Jimmy Donaldson's cousin, summoned her to one-on-one meetings at his home and commented on her clothes.
When she asked why Donaldson would not work with her on certain projects, Warren allegedly said she is 'a beautiful woman' whose appearance 'had a certain sexual effect on Jimmy.' She says she began wearing baggy clothes and baseball caps to blend in.
Hired in August 2022 as head of Instagram on a $100,000 (£74,000) salary, Mavromatis was promoted twice within a year, eventually managing a team of 20 and a monthly budget of roughly $500,000 (£370,000) on a $250,000 (£185,000) package, court papers say.
Source: International Business Times UK
