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Jimmy Donaldson, better known online as MrBeast, is acknowledging past
“inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” in a statement via a spokesperson to the Associated Press. This comes after YouTuber and former MrBeast collaborator Rosanna Pansino circulated a 2017 video of Donaldson, in which someone in his chat comments about selling Black people for money and Donaldson responds, “The most I would pay is probably 300.” He also says the F-slur multiple times and jokingly scolds his commenters for typing “the N-word,” though he still engages with the comments. “When Jimmy was a teenager he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” the spokesperson stated to AP. “Over the years he has repeatedly apologized and has learned that increasing influence comes with increased responsibility to be more aware and more sensitive to the power of language. After making some bad jokes and other mistakes when he was younger, as an adult he has focused on engaging with the MrBeast community to work together on making a positive impact around the world.”
Pansino tweeted out the video on July 24, in the midst of a larger critique of MrBeast in which she accused Donaldson of a slew of issues. “He lies, has a bad temper, runs a shady company, and keeps it a boys club,” she wrote on July 23. Pansino’s ongoing critique of Donaldson comes shortly after grooming allegations against MrBeast’s friend and collaborator Ava Kris Tyson. Donaldson is currently lining up a Prime Video show, Beast Games, announced in March. It’s all getting rather beastly.