A former executive at MrBeast's production company has filed a federal lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and violations of family leave laws. Lorrayne Mavromatis, who served as head of Instagram for Beast Industries, claims she was demoted after complaining about unwanted sexual comments and fired shortly after returning from maternity leave.
According to the lawsuit filed Wednesday in North Carolina, Mavromatis was hired in August 2022 and promoted twice within her first year. Despite her seniority, she alleges she was excluded from all-male meetings and subjected to demeaning treatment, including being asked to fetch a beer for MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) and told to 'shut up' by a male colleague during a staff meeting.
The lawsuit claims that when Mavromatis raised concerns about a producer's inappropriate comments and touching, her male supervisor ignored them. It also alleges that CEO James Warren, Donaldson's cousin, told her that Donaldson felt 'awkward around beautiful women' and would avoid meeting with her. Mavromatis says she began wearing baggy clothes and baseball caps to avoid negative impact on her employment.
After filing a complaint with HR—run by Donaldson's mother, Sue Parisher—in November 2023, the investigation found her claims 'unsubstantiated' two months later, and she was demoted to a middle-manager role in the merchandise division. In January 2025, she informed the company of her pregnancy and need for maternity leave, but alleges the company had no policy in place and failed to inform her of her rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Mavromatis claims she was pressured to work during her leave, including joining a conference call from the delivery room, and was fired less than three weeks after returning. She is seeking unspecified damages for violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, wrongful termination, and plans to add discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Beast Industries has denied the allegations, calling them 'deliberate misrepresentations' and 'categorically false statements.' A spokesperson said the company has evidence, including Slack and WhatsApp messages, that 'unequivocally refutes her claims.' The company employs 700 people and is based in North Carolina.
