Mr. Beast, the most-followed YouTuber, has responded to allegations that one of his co-hosts, Ava Kris Tyson, engaged in “grooming” of a minor. He said he was “disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable actions” and had hired a third-party investigator to look into the allegations. Tyson, who split from Mr. Beast amid the controversy, has denied the grooming allegations.
Mr. Best, who has built a huge fan base for his videos featuring crazy stunts and huge cash giveaways, said he had “seen enough online” regarding the allegations against Tyson to “remove” them “from the company, my channel and any association with Mr. Best.”
“Over the past few days, I have become aware of serious allegations regarding Ava Tyson’s online behavior and I am disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable actions,” Mr Best wrote in a post on X’s website on Wednesday evening.
“During that time, I focused on hiring an independent third party to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure I had all the facts. However, I have seen enough online and have taken immediate action to remove Ava from the company, my channel, and any affiliation with MrBeast. I do not support or endorse any of the inappropriate actions. I will give the independent investigators the time they need to conduct a thorough investigation and will take any further action based on their findings,” he continued.
According to NBC News, Tyson has been criticized for “developing an online relationship with a minor” when he was 13 and Tyson was 20. According to the report, the controversy began after a video “analyzing online interactions between Tyson and the minor, known online as LavaGS, gained traction” on YouTube.
Tyson said Tuesday (July 23) on Channel X that she is “permanently” stepping away from any involvement with MrBeast projects amid the allegations, because she “doesn’t want these allegations to affect the hundreds of people who work at MrBeast.” She denied that she “set up” anyone.
“I would like to apologize for any past behavior or comments that have hurt or offended anyone. This was not my intention. After seeing recent events, we have mutually decided that it is best for me to permanently step away from all things MrBeast and social media to focus on my family and mental health,” Tyson wrote. “I want to add, I have never harassed anyone,” claiming that the person “mentioned” in the allegations “vocally supported that they are false.”
“With that said, I humbly apologize to anyone I have hurt with my unacceptable social media posts, my past actions, and to those who may have felt betrayed by the way I used to conduct myself online,” Tyson continued. “In the years since, I have learned that my old sense of humor is unacceptable. I cannot change who I was, but I can continue to work on myself.”
