YouTube star MrBeast sued by contestants, claiming
One of the world’s best-known online personalities is facing a lawsuit.
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as “MrBeast,” is a 26-year-old YouTube star with more than 300 million subscribers. He’s built an empire offering huge prizes to viewers on his videos.
The proposed class action lawsuit accuses MrBeast’s production company and Amazon Studios of “chronic mistreatment” and sexual harassment of contestants in an upcoming reality show. The plaintiffs also claim to be considered employees, not contestants, and dispute wages in the lawsuit.
Legal battle details
Five unnamed contestants in the upcoming Amazon reality show “Beast Games” are alleging MrBeast’s production company and Amazon Studios created a “toxic and hostile” environment, that “laid the groundwork” for sexual harassment, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs cite an alleged production guide called “How to succeed in MrBeast Production,” which they say encourages obscenities and directs staff to “do everything” to “help” the talent “be idiots.”
The contestants also claim they were forced to endure “unsafe” conditions with a lack of access to medical care, food and water, and say they weren’t paid a fair wage.
“You can call them whatever you want to, but if they meet the definition of an employee, it doesn’t matter what you title them,” Lizelle Brandt, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said. “Our argument is that they are employees under California law.”
Amazon Studios and a spokesperson for MrBeast declined to comment.
“The hope, dream and expectation that you will get a payment is not the same thing as being an employee,” said CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson. “There’s a real legal battle here that the plaintiffs will have to convince a judge that this group who signed on to be part of a show should be considered as employees, not contestants.”
Previous allegations
The accusations come after YouTuber Jake Weddle, who claims to be a former MrBeast employee, alleged mental abuse during a 100-day isolation challenge.
“It got to the point where they weren’t turning the lights off,” Weddle said. “You know I asked them. I said, ‘Could we have like nighttime hours, you know?’ They said ‘No.'”
Donaldson, 26, has previously faced allegations of racism and inappropriate comments.
“When Jimmy was a teenager he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” a spokesperson for the YouTuber said in a statement to The Associated Press when the allegations surfaced. “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.”
Trump campaign must stop using Isaac Hayes song after…
A federal judge in Atlanta ruled Tuesday that former President Donald Trump and his campaign must stop using the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” while the family of one of the song’s co-writers pursues a lawsuit against the former president over its use.
The estate of Isaac Hayes Jr. filed a lawsuit last month alleging that Trump, his campaign and several of his allies had infringed its copyright and should pay damages. After a hearing on the estate’s request for an emergency preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash ruled that Trump must stop using the song, but he denied a request to force the campaign to take down any existing videos that include the song.
Hayes, who died in 2008 at age 65, and David Porter co-wrote “Hold On, I’m Coming,” a 1966 hit for soul duo Sam & Dave — made up of Sam Moore and the late David Prater Jr.
Ronald Coleman, an attorney for Trump, told CBS News that the former president and his campaign had already ceased using the song.
“We’re very gratified that the court recognized the First Amendment issues at stake and didn’t order a takedown of existing videos,” Coleman said.
Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III, told reporters he was “very grateful and happy” for the judge’s decision.
“I want this to serve as an opportunity for other artists to come forward that don’t want their music used by Donald Trump or other political entities and continue to fight for music artists’ rights and copyright,” he said.
A string of artists and their heirs have objected to Trump using their songs during his events. After a Trump campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana, last month featured a video of Celine Dion performing “My Heart Will Go On,” her team put out a statement saying the singer didn’t endorse that use of her song and saying “in no way is this use authorized.”
Ahead of the 2020 election, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M. and Guns N’ Roses all objected to Trump using their songs.
When he learned in 2022 that Trump had used “Hold On, I’m Coming” at an NRA rally, Porter tweeted “Hell to the NO!” But Sam Moore, of Sam & Dave, had performed “America the Beautiful” at a pre-inauguration concert for Trump and suggested in a sworn statement filed with the court over the weekend by Trump and his campaign that he was opposed to the action sought by Hayes’ estate.
Tuesday’s ruling was a preliminary one and the litigation remains ongoing.
The lawsuit filed by the estate of Isaac Hayes Jr. and Isaac Hayes Enterprises says Hayes and Porter were the owners of all rights to the song, including the copyright, and that Isaac Hayes Enterprises is the current owner.
The lawsuit says Trump and his campaign began using the song in 2020 as “outro” music for his appearances and campaign events and has used it at least 133 times since then. Universal Music Group and Warner Chappell music, publishers contracted by Isaac Hayes Enterprises, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump campaign in 2020, it says.
Trump and his campaign never sought permission or consent from Hayes’ estate or Isaac Hayes Enterprises until this year and have not obtained a valid public performance license for it, the lawsuit says. The song’s use by Trump and his campaign constitutes “false and/or misleading” uses of Hayes’ “widely recognized celebrity and legacy” and could deceive the public into believing there is an endorsement or business relationship between the plaintiffs and Trump and his campaign, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit says the plaintiffs have “incurred significant economic damages” as a result and argues that they should get actual and punitive damages for each proven infringement.
Lawyers for Trump and his campaign wrote in a filing with the court that the Hayes estate and Isaac Hayes Enterprises, have failed to show that they own the copyright at issue and cannot show that they have suffered any harm. The campaign obtained a license from BMI Music in November 2022 authorizing it to use “Hold On, I’m Coming,” the filing says.
The fact that the song can be heard as background music in some campaign videos is protected by the principle of fair use and “cannot possibly have an effect on the market value of the Song,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.
A sworn statement from Trump campaign deputy manager Justin Caporale submitted to the court says that “out of respect for the pending litigation” the campaign will no longer play the song at its events.
In his statement filed with the court, Moore said Hayes’ estate has made his biography and legacy the focus of the litigation, but that “Isaac’s is not the only significant biography and legacy involved in this matter.” As one of the singers on “Hold On, I’m Coming,” Moore said that the public associates his voice, name and identity with the song “at least as much, if not more, than the name of Isaac Hayes.”
Moore said all licensing for the song is controlled by Universal Music Group Publishing.
Moore said he fears that if the court were to grant the wishes of Hayes’ estate that he might be prohibited from ever appearing and performing the song at a Trump event during or after the election.
Caitlin Yilek
contributed to this report.
Beastie Boys sue Chili’s parent company for copyright infringement
Brinker International tried to ill without license, according to a new lawsuit filed by iconic rap group The Beastie Boys.
The Beastie Boys are suing the parent company of Chili’s in a case that accuses the chain restaurant of running an advertisement that used the hip-hop trio’s smash hit “Sabotage” without permission.
In a federal case filed Wednesday in New York, the acclaimed rap-rock group, who rose to fame in the ’80s with the release of their debut album “Licensed to Ill,” allege Brinker International created a Chili’s ad that used significant portions of “Sabotage” and ripped off the song’s music video.
Brinker International did not immediately return an email seeking comment. The court filings did not list an attorney for Brinker.
Debuting in 1994 on the band’s fourth album, “Ill Communication,” the song “Sabotage” became a huge hit for The Beastie Boys. Its accompanying music video, where the group’s three members donned wigs, fake mustaches and sunglasses in a parody of 1970s crime television shows, is one of the most recognizable in the genre.
The lawsuit accuses Brinker of creating a Chili’s social media ad in 2022 that used parts of the song alongside a video of three people wearing 1970’s-style disguises stealing ingredients from a Chili’s restaurant.
The case was filed by surviving group members Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond, along with the executor of the estate of Adam “MCA” Yauch, who died of cancer in 2012 at age 47. Yauch, in his will, specifically barred the use of his music in advertisements.
In 2014, the Beastie Boys won $1.7 million in a copyright violation case against the maker of Monster Energy drink for the company’s unauthorized use of one of the group’s songs. In a separate ruling, Monster was ordered to pay an addition $668,000 of the the Beastie Boys’ $2.4 million legal fees from the trial.
The Beastie Boys, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, have turned out four No. 1 albums and sold more than 40 million records. Last year, the corner of Ludlow and Rivington streets in New York City was officially renamed Beastie Boys Square. The intersection is featured on the cover of the group’s second album, “Paul’s Boutique.”
Rapper Sean
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Sean
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ troubles continued Tuesday as a lawsuit filed in New York federal court accused the hip-hop mogul of drugging and sexually assaulting a model in 2003.
The lawsuit was filed by Crystal McKinney under the NYC Gender Motivated Violence Act, which allows victims of violence committed on the basis of gender in the city to sue their abusers, regardless of when the abuse took place. The window for filing lawsuits under that act expires in 2025.
McKinney is also suing Combs’ record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, his label’s distributor, Universal Music Group, and Combs’ fashion brand, Sean John Clothing.
According to the suit, then 22-year-old McKinney, who was a rising fashion model, was introduced to Combs by an unnamed fashion designer in 2003. The suit alleges the designer dressed and styled McKinney “to ensure Combs found her attractive” before taking her to meet Combs at Cipriani Downtown, a New York City restaurant.
According to the lawsuit, Combs made a number of flirtatious and sexually suggestive remarks about McKinney’s appearance in front of the other dinner guests, including the designer. Later that night, Combs allegedly invited McKinney to his recording studio, where he was drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana with several male companions, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit says that Comb passed McKinney a joint, saying, “You’ve never had weed like this before,” which McKinney interpreted to mean the marijuana was laced with some other drug.
“Although plaintiff insisted that she had enough after that, Combs pressured her to imbibe more alcohol and marijuana by telling her that she was acting too uptight,” the lawsuit reads.
After McKinney became “very intoxicated,” the lawsuit claims, Combs led her into the bathroom and forced her to perform oral sex on him. Afterward, she alleges she lost consciousness and woke up in a cab.
CBS News has reached out to Combs’ representatives for comment. Universal Music Group declined to comment “pending lawyers’ review of the lawsuit.”
McKinney claims her modeling opportunities disappeared after the alleged incident because Combs had her “‘blackballed’ in the industry and utilized his significant influence to impede [her] career growth.” According to the suit, in the years following the alleged incident, McKinney became anxious, depressed and addicted to drugs and alcohol, and she attempted suicide around 2004.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of a security video aired by CNN on Friday that allegedly shows Combs attacking singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Combs on Sunday publicly apologized for the incident, saying his behavior was “inexcusable,” and that he takes “full responsibility” for his actions.
Earlier this month, Combs asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that he and two co-defendants raped a 17-year-old girl in a New York recording studio in 2003, saying it was a “false and hideous claim” that was filed too late under the law.
In March, Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement officers due to a possible ongoing sex trafficking investigation, U.S. officials said at the time.
Other accusations against the music mogul include those made by two women in November last year, one week after he settled a separate lawsuit with the singer Cassie that contained allegations of rape and physical abuse. The women’s lawsuits were filed on the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations.
In February, a male music producer also filed a federal lawsuit against Combs accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Elon Musk's Tesla hit with lawsuit for polluting California…
Elon Musk’s Tesla has been slapped with yet another lawsuit but this time it is about an environmental issue.
According to CNBC, the Texas-based electric vehicle maker is being sued by the non-profit Environmental Democracy Project for spreading air.
The complaint filed on Monday suggest’s Tesla’s power plant has been emitting harmful pollutants in Fremont, California since January 2021.
It also stated that the company’s factory is “exposing nearby resident and workers to excessive nitrogen oxides, arsenic, cadmium and other harmful chemicals”.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District regulators, in a statement, said, “Tesla violations are frequent, recurring, and can negatively affect public health and the environment.”
The non-profit organisation has demanded that the company pays a civil fine up to $121,275 for violating the Clean Air Act, in addition to decreasing excess pollution.
Although Tesla has long boasted about the climate benefits of driving EV’s, its manufacturing processes proves otherwise.
Tesla landed at 89 on the 2023 Toxic 100 Air Polluters.
In 2022, it was fined $275,000 for failing to measure, track and maintain records about its own emissions or to minimise air pollutants from painting operations at the facility.
In addition, it has been sued by 25 counties in California alone, for mishandling of hazardous substances. In Germany, climate activists have been protesting against Tesla for building a factory outside Berlin by clearing out forests.
Daryl Hall gets restraining order against John Oates amid…
Daryl Hall has filed a restraining order against his one-time musical collaborator, John Oates. The pair made up the pop rock duo Hall & Oates, and put out 18 studio albums together between 1972 and 2006.
Hall filed the temporary restraining order request in a Nashville Chancery Court on Nov. 16. Oates and the co-defendants – his wife, Aimee J. Oates, and business manager Richard Flynn, who are both co-trustees of his trust – were served on Nov. 20.
It is unclear what promoted the restraining order, but it is labeled as a Contract/Debt case on the website for the Nashville Chancery Court. CBS News has reached out to Hall’s attorney as well as Flynn for further information, and is awaiting a response.
While they put out several hits like “Rich Girl” and “You Make My Dreams Come True” and were nominated for five Grammys together, the duo appears to have grown apart. During an interview on the “Club Random with Bill Maher” last year, Hall said they’ve “always been very separate.”
“John and I are brothers, but we are not creative brothers,” Hall said. “We are business partners. We made records called Hall & Oates together, but we’ve always been very separate, and that’s a really important thing for me.” Hall also said he did most of the work, citing the duo’s 1980 song “Kiss on My List,” for which Oates is not labeled as a songwriter, but Hall is.
Hall, 77, and Oates, 75, met while they were freshmen at Temple University. During a 2013 interview with Dan Rather, Hall said they met at a gig. A fight broke out, and they left in the elevator together and struck up a conversation that led to a friendship and musical collaboration.
In 2017, ahead of a tour together, the duo sat down with “CBS Sunday Morning” for an interview.
“Did I think that I’d be working with John and we’d be sitting side-by-side all these years later?” Hall said. “No, it didn’t even occur to me.”
“Our job is the job that everyone dreams of,” said Oates. “Play instruments, sing, write music, make records. Why would you wanna quit?”
“If you look on every album we’ve ever made, it says, ‘Daryl Hall and John Oates,'” said Oates. “Now, it may seem a subtle distinction. But we’ve always looked at ourselves as two individuals who are distinctly different, who work together. And to this day, that’s how we view ourselves.”
Former Lizzo dancers accuse her of sexual harassment and…
Three former dancers for singer Lizzo have filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Grammy award-winning musician, claiming they were subjected to a severely toxic work environment that included “debauchery” and racially biased taunts of being “lazy” and “snarky.”
The singer’s company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, and dance team captain, Shirlene Quigley, were both named as defendants in the suit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. In their complaint, dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez also accuse Lizzo of disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment.
“The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing,” the dancers’ lawyer, Ron Zambrano, said in a statement.
Media representatives for Lizzo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Davis, Williams and Rodriguez, who are all people of color, joined Lizzo’s dance team in 2021, according to the suit. During an international tour in Amsterdam earlier this year, Lizzo allegedly pressured the dancers into engaging with nude performers in the city’s red light district, the suit states.
In their complaint, the dancers describe their former work environment as “overtly sexual” and hostile, claiming that allegedly abusive behavior by the singer contributed to their “emotional distress.”
Davis and Williams were fired and Rodriguez resigned from Lizzo’s dance team, Zambrano said.
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