“I’ve seen enough online and taken immediate action to remove Ava from the company, my channel, and any association with MrBeast,” the YouTuber’s statement read.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Ava Kris Tyson/Instagram
YouTube star MrBeast is taking action after learning of allegations made against a former collaborator and friend.
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, posted a statement on Wednesday, July 24, regarding allegations that Ava Tyson, who is transgender and also goes by the name Ava Kris Tyson on X, was accused of “grooming,” allegations which she has publicly denied.
“Over the last few days, I’ve become aware of the serious allegations of Ava Tyson’s behavior online and I am disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts,” MrBeast’s statement on X (formerly Twitter) began. “During that time, I have been focused on hiring an independent third party to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure I have all the facts.”
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“That said, I’ve seen enough online and taken immediate action to remove Ava from the company, my channel, and any association with MrBeast. I do not condone or support any of the inappropriate actions,” the post continued.
“I will allow the independent investigators the necessary time to conduct a comprehensive investigation and will take any further actions based on their findings,” he concluded his statement.
Donaldson, a longtime friend of Tyson’s, has previously come to her defense when Tyson has been on the receiving end of transphobic attacks.
The allegations against Tyson surfaced last month, when several social media users spoke out about a relationship she formed at the age of 20 with a minor, who was 13 at the time, according to The Hollywood Reporter and NBC News.
A number of videos and comments were made analyzing their alleged interactions, which reportedly contained references to nude photos, sex, and anime pornography, per the outlets.
Tyson denied allegations in a series of posts on X on Tuesday, July 23, but did apologize to anybody she hurt.
“I would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone. It was not my intent. Seeing recent events we’ve mutually decided it’s best I permanently step away from all things MrBeast and social media to focus on my family and mental health,” Tyson wrote.
“I want to add, I never groomed anyone. The person who gets brought up in these accusations @LavaGS has vocally supported that they are false,” she continued. “Having said that, I humbly apologize to anyone I have hurt with my unacceptable social media posts, past actions, and to those who may feel betrayed by how I used to act online.”
She added, “In past years, I have learned that my old humor is not acceptable. I cannot change who I was, but I can continue to work on myself.”
Tyson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment.
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LavaGS has also spoken out, saying online commenters are “twisting the truth.” “Ava never did anything wrong and just made a few edgy jokes. I was never exploited or taken advantage of,” LavaGS wrote.
He also claimed that the messages were all “sent in public discord servers/groups,” and weren’t “1 on 1” conversations, per NBC News.
In a subsequent post, the social media user, now 20, commended MrBeast “for taking this situation seriously and hiring a 3rd party investigator.”
Tyson, a longtime friend of the YouTube star, has appeared in MrBeast’s videos for over a decade, beginning in 2012. She has over 2.3 million followers on Instagram, where she’s documented her transition.
MrBeast currently has the most subscribers on YouTube with over 306 million.
