Beast Industries faces a new legal challenge after a former employee, Lorrayne Mavromatis, alleged that she endured years of sexual harassment and workplace gender bias and was then fired shortly after returning from maternity leave, according to a lawsuit filed in North Carolina federal court. In the same case, she accused MrBeast’s production entities of violating federal law that protects eligible employees’ job rights during qualifying family and medical leave, including childbirth.
Mavromatis also alleged discrimination based on sex and pregnancy, and retaliation tied to her complaints, and she filed a separate charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The company, in response, denied the allegations and framed the lawsuit as what it called a “clout-chasing complaint” built on “deliberate misrepresentations and categorically false statements,” according to a Beast Industries spokesperson.
According to the lawsuit, Mavromatis returned to work full time and was fired less than three weeks later, after an extended absence for childbirth. In an interview with The Associated Press, Mavromatis said she worked “nonstop” after her baby’s birth and during delivery, describing that she was “still bleeding” and felt she had to “show up.”
Mavromatis’s filing portrays the circumstances around her return as part of a broader pattern of harassment and retaliation, and it ties the alleged workplace environment to a companywide culture described as high-pressure. Her lawsuit references a 36-page “HOW TO SUCCEED IN MRBEAST PRODUCTION” guide circulated at the time of her employment, including sections that, according to the AP account, told employees it was acceptable for “the boys to be childish” and that “the Amount of hours you work is irrelevant.”
The company’s response also referenced specific internal workplace communications and other company documentation. Beast Industries told AP that it shared a March 31, 2025 exchange on Slack in which a coworker told Mavromatis she “shouldn’t even be checking” messages after she said she was “actually in labor at the hospital as we speak.” In response to allegations that MrBeast failed to inform her of her rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the company shared a screenshot of her signature confirming receipt of an employee handbook that included FMLA policies.
The spokesperson said Beast Industries fired Mavromatis because her role was eliminated after a reorganization, attributing the change to work involving the new head of ecommerce. The spokesperson also disputed other parts of the lawsuit, including claims about how Mavromatis said she was reassigned or demoted after reporting harassment issues to human resources.
The case arrives as questions about Beast Industries’ internal culture have resurfaced in connection with the company’s rapid expansion beyond YouTube. AP reported that Beast Industries has been hiring executives and launching new ventures, including a reality competition series “Beast Games” on Amazon Prime and a recent acquisition of Step, a teen-focused banking app.
In a statement cited by AP, TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund at the National Women’s Law Center said it is supporting Mavromatis’s case. Senior director Jennifer Mondino said abusive workplaces rely on what she described as a persistent lack of accountability, and she linked the pattern to cases where those with influence and power “are allowed to harm others and retaliate against those who decide to speak up.”
Mavromatis’s lawsuit also places the dispute in a context of leadership scrutiny, including attention to statements from Jimmy Donaldson, who founded the MrBeast brand. Two years earlier, AP reported that Donaldson told employees in an August 2024 email that he recognized he needed to “create a culture that makes all our employees feel safe and allows them to do their best work,” after workplace accusations had surfaced.
The lawsuit was filed ahead of a TIME100 event in New York City where Donaldson was scheduled to be honored, according to AP. Beast Industries employs about 700 people, according to its chief communication officer Gaude Paez, and the company has continued expanding as it pursues growth across television and financial services.
As the case proceeds, federal and administrative processes will determine whether Mavromatis’s allegations are supported under the legal standards involved. Beast Industries has denied the claims, while Mavromatis and her supporters argue that the matter reflects systemic workplace misconduct and retaliation that has gone unaddressed.