Beast Industries has responded after a former executive filed a lawsuit accusing the company of sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination.
In a complaint filed in North Carolina on Wednesday (April 23), Lorrayne Mavromatis alleges she was terminated shortly after returning from maternity leave. She also characterises the workplace culture as a:
‘boy’s club’.
Mavromatis says she joined the company as head of Instagram and was later promoted to head of creative. In the lawsuit, she claims a senior figure repeatedly made remarks about her appearance.
She alleges that in one instance, former CEO James Warren brushed aside her concerns that a colleague had sexually harassed her. The complaint says she later questioned Warren about why MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson) had not collaborated with her on certain projects.
According to the suit, Warren told her she is a:
‘beautiful woman’
and added that her:
‘appearance had a certain sexual effect on Jimmy’.
Mavromatis also alleges that:
‘sexually inappropriate comments were acceptable at MrBeast and that complaining could adversely affect her employment’.
Beast Industries has rejected the allegations, describing them as:
‘fabricated for the sole purpose of sparking headlines’
and aimed at securing a:
‘multimillion dollar payday’.
Mr Beast’s company said in a statement on Wednesday (April 23):
“This clout-chasing complaint is built on deliberate misrepresentations and categorically false statements, and we have the receipts to prove it.
“There is extensive evidence — including Slack and WhatsApp messages, company documents, and witness testimony — that unequivocally refutes her claims. We will not submit to opportunistic lawyers looking to manufacture a payday from us.”
A spokesperson told Deadline:
“This is an allegation fabricated for the sole purpose of sparking headlines. It’s also disgusting that the lawsuit is exploiting Jimmy’s eye condition and Crohn’s disease — two medical conditions he has been publicly open about — in their attempt to secure a multimillion-dollar payday.”
The lawsuit further states:
“During her employment, Plaintiff herself experienced and observed other female employees be subjected to sexual harassment that was both condoned and/or perpetuated by their supervisors.”
Among her other claims, Mavromatis alleges the company lacked a formal process for reporting sexual harassment in 2023 when she raised her complaint. She also says she was later moved into a merchandise social media role after an investigation, shortly before she went on maternity leave.
She further alleges that, during that period, her supervisor continued to assign her work across multiple projects, including a trip to Brazil.
In addition, the complaint states that Beast Industries fired her three weeks after she returned from maternity leave.