YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, has addressed criticism after his latest video sparked controversy for featuring a contestant attempting fire-based stunts for a $500,000 prize. The 25-minute video, uploaded on September 28, 2025, opened with the premise: “Would you risk burning alive for half a million dollars?”
In the video, a contestant named Eric—described as a professional stuntman—faced seven fire-themed obstacles labeled “Death Traps.” These challenges included jumping through flaming hoops, swimming under water set on fire, and running through controlled flames. The first sequence, showing Eric tied to a chair in a room surrounded by fire before escaping to collect bags of cash, went viral on social media.
Clips from that scene drew millions of views and widespread backlash. Users on X (formerly Twitter) called the stunt “evil,” with some arguing MrBeast should be “cancelled before someone actually dies.” Others compared the video to dystopian fiction such as Squid Game. On Reddit, questions were raised about whether the content violated YouTube’s Terms of Service.
This blew up, if you’re curious obviously we had ventilation for the smoke and a kill switch to cut off the fires. We had professionals test this extensively and the guy in the video as stated is a professional stunt man. I take safety more serious than you could ever imagine.
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) September 29, 2025
MrBeast clarified in a YouTube comment that safety was a top priority during filming. According to him, all stunts were tested by multiple professionals before recording. A full rescue team, including firefighters, EMTs, an ambulance, and a firetruck, was present on set. He added that Eric wore protective gear, fire-retardant gel, and was supported by a pyro team and suppression systems capable of extinguishing flames instantly.
The following day, MrBeast reiterated his defense on X, noting the setup included smoke ventilation and an emergency kill switch for the fires. “I take safety more serious than you could ever imagine,” he wrote.
Eric, the stuntman, explained during the video that he joined the challenge to win money to support his father, who is battling cancer.
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