MrBeast is in a tough spot. But PR experts say an aggressive ‘super lawyer’ isn’t the fix he needs.

Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson has hired a lawyer to fight back against public critics.

MrBeast appears to be trying to salvage his reputation following a series of controversies in recent weeks.

YouTube’s biggest star — whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson — has faced criticism from former employees, allegations of lousy health and safety on set, and questions about his company’s culture.

And Donaldson is lawyering up as a path through — DailyMail.com reported that he hired Alex Spiro, a $2,000-per-hour attorney who has represented Alec Baldwin and Elon Musk.

A representative for Spiro’s law firm confirmed the move.

However, crisis management experts say that legal showdowns with his critics might not be the best move for rebuilding the trust that has been eroded with fans.

Where the problems began

Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, runs the most prominent YouTube channel, with 312 million subscribers. Given his fame, he is used to getting a healthy dose of criticism, which he has largely shrugged off over the years.

That was until this year when he cut professional ties with his childhood friend Ava Tyson after it came to light that she had engaged in inappropriate conversations with young fans.

Donaldson posted a statement on the night of July 24, saying he was “disgusted and opposed” to Tyson’s behavior and had hired a third-party investigator.

“I’ve seen enough online and taken immediate action to remove Ava from the company, my channel, and any association with MrBeast,” he said in the statement posted to X. “I do not condone or support any of the inappropriate actions.”

Donaldson’s reputation took another hit when The New York Times published a report detailing the conditions on the set of his upcoming Amazon show, “Beast Games.”

The report alleges injuries and hospitalizations, a lack of food and water, and limited access to medicine. At the time, a spokesperson blamed the CrowdStrike IT outage and said Donaldson had “taken steps to ensure that we learn from this experience.”

One former staffer, whom DailyMail.com named as Dawson French, also posted two lengthy videos on his YouTube channel, DogPack404, racking up 26 million views in total.

In the videos, French called Donaldson a “fraud” and a “sociopath” who profits off manipulating his young audience. He also claimed Donaldson hired a registered sex offender to be part of his crew.

Donaldson has not addressed this claim, but he sent a memo to his employees on August 7, saying he would be hiring an HR officer, offering safety and sensitivity training, and promising to “foster a better internal culture,” The Daily Beast reported.

Hiring a ‘super lawyer’

In that context he hired Spiro, who has represented Elon Musk, Megan Thee Stallion, and Alec Baldwin.

Spiro sent French a cease-and-desist letter, accusing French of “posting misinformation and false statements,” per the outlet.

A representative at Spiro’s firm, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, confirmed to B-17 that Spiro is representing Donaldson.

However, experts told B-17 that if Donaldson has indeed enlisted Spiro, it may just add fuel to the fire.

Haddy Folivi, an experienced UK-based publicist, told B-17 Donaldson seems to be acting from a place of emotion rather than logic, “which is the worst thing you can do in a crisis.”

“He is not admitting his mistakes,” she said. “He is paying a lawyer $2,000 an hour to try and fix the issue and make it go away, which it won’t.”

Alex Spiro, the attorney hired by MrBeast, who has represented Elon Musk and Alec Baldwin.

Laura Perkes, the founder of the firm PR with Perkes, told B-17 that taking legal action means “you’re simply trying to stop people from sharing their version of events” rather than taking accountability.

Perkes said that by threatening legal action, “all you’re doing is deflecting and passing blame onto others.”

Kellie Whitehead, a third PR founder, told B-17 the move shows Donaldson has cemented his status “in the domain of the superrich and powerful,” and hiring this level of legal representation means “a wall of expensive silence ensues.”

While this may protect Donaldson, Whitehead said he will probably find it doesn’t resonate with his fans.

“You are not fixing your reputation this way, you are merely paying to fight legally,” she said. “There is a difference between criticism and accusations, and that’s where the law should be involved — his public and fan base reputational damage is another story.”

Common mistakes

Perkes said that for online stars like Donaldson, negative pushback can seem relentless when things start to go wrong. Often, people share their opinions without having all the information, and this, coupled with the herd mentality of cancel culture, can feel overwhelming.

Saying the wrong thing can be catastrophic, Perkes said, but staying quiet can also make you look guilty.

“You can’t fight fire with fire,” she said.

Folivi agreed that trying to ignore the problem is a mistake many online celebrities make, which is “an insult to their followers.”

However, it’s also not recommended to respond to everything, as this can come across as defensive. Instead, the best course of action is a “holding” statement.

“Admit to your mistakes,” Folivi said. “Issue an apology, where necessary, especially to your young fans who hold you in high regard, then put a plan in place to mitigate such errors in the future.”

MrBeast opening a MrBeast restaurant in a New Jersey mall in 2022. 

Trust is vital

Trust is hugely important between influencers and their fans, Perkes said.

“Without trust, there’s nothing,” she said. “Influencers need their fans; without them, they’re no longer influencers, and without them, they’re no longer a brand with products or services that people want to buy.”

When trust is eroded, it’s hard to gain it back, Perkes said, and can take years to rebuild.

“Apologising for their mistakes won’t cut it, it’s not enough,” she said. “Fans need to see that they’ve changed their behavior based on the lessons learned.”

People are much wiser to celebrities and how they can use periods of controversy in their favor to propel their careers. They’re paying more attention, Perkes said, and being more discerning about who gets their views.

“If they’re not happy, not only will they vote with their feet, but they’ll be vocal about it too,” she said.

Folivi said her 11-year-old son is a huge fan of Donaldson, and he is likely to feel let down by some of the recent news about the star.

“Trust is not impossible to rebuild, but it will take time,” she said. “It will require a time out for the celebrity to really reflect, and people will need to see that they are remorseful.”

She said a good move is to take a significant period off and return with the right project that shows them in a positive light.

“We are human, so we will make mistakes,” Folivi said. “When it happens, take ownership, apologize, and don’t repeat the same mistakes.”