Mexican Government Sues MrBeast’s Production Team for Exploiting Mayan Ruins in Latest Viral Video
On Saturday, the Mexican government announced a lawsuit against Full Circle Media, the production company behind the latest viral YouTube video by Jimmy Donaldson, best known as MrBeast, for allegedly exploiting ancient Mayan archaeological sites for commercial gain.
The video at the center of the lawsuit has amassed more than 67 million views in a week.
Titled “I Explored 2000-Year-Old Ancient Temples,” the video features MrBeast and his team exploring restricted areas of Mayan ruins, including Chichén Itzá and Calakmul.
Mexico claims the production violated the terms of its filming permit by using the footage to promote MrBeast’s “Feastables” candy brand and, therefore, profiting from what it called “the heritage that belongs to all Mexicans.”
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) issued the filming permit to Full Circle Media, allowing access to the archaeological sites for “non-commercial purposes.” However, the video includes a promotional portion where MrBeast peddles his chocolate peanut butter cups, jokingly calling them “the only Mayan-approved snack on the planet” and a “special Mayan dessert.”