Topline
Ava Kris Tyson, co-host to the ultra popular MrBeast YouTube channel, has decided to “permanently step away” following unsubstantiated allegations of grooming minor fans and a series of transphobic attacks that have hit the social media star since she announced she was starting hormone replacement therapy last year.
Mr Beast and Ava Kris Tyson attend the Nickelodeon’s 2023 Kid’s Choice Awards on March 4, 2023.
Key Facts
Tyson this week responded to allegations that she exchanged inappropriate messages with a fan when Tyson was 20 and the fan was 13—claims that have since been denied by the alleged victim, a now 20-year-old named Lava.
Lava said she and Tyson did run a Discord together with “edgy inappropriate jokes,” but said “I was never exploited or taken advantage of.”
Despite the allegations, Tyson posted that she “would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone.
It was not my intent.” In the same post, she announced she would “permanently step away from all things MrBeast and social media to focus on my family and mental health.”
In addition to the grooming allegations, the move to step out of the spotlight comes after an onslaught of transphobic attacks on Tyson, who has undergone hormone replacement therapy and changed her name from Kris Tyson to Ava Kris.
Both MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, and Tyson’s ex-wife have publicly defended her and called for an end to the harassment.
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Crucial Quote
“To create a narrative that my behaviour extended beyond bad edgy jokes is disgusting and did not happen,” Tyson said. “In past years, I have learned that my old humour is not acceptable. I cannot change who I was, but I can continue to work on myself.”
Key Background
Tyson has appeared on Donaldson’s YouTube channel—the most-subscribed-to channel across the entire platform—since it was started in 2012. She’s been involved in many of the prank and challenge videos on the channel and was the main host of the ” Beast Racts” channel, which records the pair’s responses to viral videos online. In March of 2023, Tyson revealed she and her wife had been separated for a year and confirmed on Twitter that she had started hormone replacement therapy. She later said she would go by she/her pronouns and updated her name earlier this year. Since 2012, the MrBeast channel has grown to be the most-subscribed channel on YouTube with more than 300 million subscribers. Donaldson was named by Forbes as the highest-earning creator of 2023 and highest-paid YouTube star in 2022. He is estimated to have earned $54 million last year.
Further Reading
Mary Roeloffs is a Forbes reporter who covers breaking news with a frequent focus on the entertainment industry, streaming, sports news, publishing, pop culture and climate change. She joined Forbes in 2023 and lives in Dallas. She’s covered Netflix’s hottest documentaries, a surge of assaults reported on social media, the most popular books of the year and how climate change stands to impact the way we eat. Roeloffs was included on Editor & Publisher Magazine’s “ 25 Under 30” list in 2023 and worked covering local news in the greater Boston area from 2017 to 2023. She graduated with a double major in political science and journalism from Northeastern University. Follow Roeloffs for continued coverage of streaming wars, pop culture news and trending topics.
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