On May 18, 2025, the renowned YouTuber Jimmy “MrBeast”took to his platform to respond to the escalating controversy regarding the filming of his video showcasing Mayan temple sites. This response comes amidst reports indicating that Mexican authorities are contemplating legal action against him. MrBeast emphasized that neither he nor his team is facing any lawsuits from the government and aimed to clarify the misunderstandings surrounding the issue.
To bring everyone up to speed, on May 16, outlets including the BBC reported that the Mexican government was seeking compensation from the creators of the MrBeast video titled “I Explored 2000 Year Old Ancient Temples.”The official complaint mentioned concerns about a commercial for MrBeast’s Feastables chocolate bar included in the video.
In response to the controversy, MrBeast posted on X, emphasizing that his crew hasn’t faced any legal repercussions stemming from the video’s production:
“I’ve seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said. Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their culture, much like we did with our Pyramids video. We are not and have never been sued by them lol.”
He further assured his audience that they secured all necessary permits for filming at the sites and adhered to all regulations. MrBeast shared a screenshot of a post from Layda Sansores, the Governor of Campeche, who defended his actions, stating:
“We filmed with full permits, followed guidelines, had representatives from government agencies following us, Mexican archeologists to make sure we were accurate, AND representatives from the sites to ensure we were following the rules. The governor of the state we shot in even came out in our defense.”
MrBeast Insists Mexican Authorities Were Aware of Feastables Promotion
After dismissing any allegations of legal action, MrBeast stated that the Mexican authorities were informed about the promotion of Feastables within the video. He clarified that, out of respect for the cultural heritage associated with the Mayan temples, the advertisement was filmed at a distance from the archaeological sites:
“They were aware of us mentioning Feastables in the video but for respect of the sites, it was filmed off site from any national monuments. The dinner scene where I made the Feastables joke was not near any Mayan temples.”
In his post, MrBeast highlighted that he and his team undertook philanthropic initiatives during their time in Mexico. He expressed his frustration about the misleading headlines surrounding the filming, stating:
“We also never planned on sharing this, but as always my hand is forced by false headlines – behind the scenes we funded wells and water projects in the state, I’ve also been working with INAH on a fund to support local Mexican archaeology and new discoveries because I wanted to help spread the culture as a thanks for allowing us to film. I hope to go back someday and continue to share how awesome the culture is with the world, sad to see this get distorted.”
MrBeast is widely recognized for his charitable efforts and frequently showcases his various philanthropic activities on his Beast Philanthropy YouTube channel. Earlier this year, he released a video documenting how they assisted in alleviating child slavery in West Africa by financing a healthcare facility for the organization GMAD (Ghana Make a Difference).
In related news, MrBeast recently contributed to the anthology series “Love, Death + Robots”on Netflix, where he also shared details about his role in the project.