Popular YouTuber MrBeast has weighed in on the shocking claims that his former co-host Ava Kris Tyson groomed a minor.
The social media mogul shared that he was “disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts” and had ended any association with Ava.
Ava had also previously announced that she was leaving the channel to focus on her mental health, adding an apology for her past actions. However, she denied the accusation of grooming a minor.
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MrBeast Says He Is ‘Disgusted And Opposed To Such Unacceptable Acts’
Days after Mr Beast’s co-host Ava announced that she was leaving the popular channel in the wake of her grooming allegations, the YouTube megastar has finally broken his silence on the matter.
He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “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.”
Mr Beast also claimed that he has hired “an independent third party to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure I have all the facts.”
The YouTuber added that while he awaits the conclusion of the investigation, he has “seen enough online” to cut ties with Ava, who had appeared alongside him on the channel since 2012.
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Apart from distancing himself from Ava, MrBeast also promised to take “further actions” based on the “findings” of the independent investigators, although he did not disclose the timeline this would take.
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Fans React To Mr Beast Breaking His Silence On The Controversy
In the comment section, several individuals commended MrBeast for cutting ties with Ava in the wake of the accusations.
One person wrote, “You did what’s best, thanks MrBeast. Now, back to improving the world one video at a time.”
A second fellow remarked, “This is the right move. I’m sorry this happened as I know he was a good friend.”
Another user commented, “Gotta say 2024 is the year of chaos and the unexpected, but thank you for taking the time to announce this post and taking this situation very seriously as You did what’s best.”
However, some weren’t okay with MrBeast’s statement, calling it a PR move to prevent his brand from facing backlash.
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A user wrote, “Obviously, this is a purely PR and damage control statement, but let’s be real you clearly knew the whole time it just wasn’t a problem for you until it became a brand risk.”
A second individual commented, “Manufactured statement made by a bunch of corporate suits. You were Kris’ best friend for years…you knew about this and did nothing.”
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Ava Kris Tyson Denied The Grooming Allegations
Ava, who is currently 28, was accused of grooming a 13-year-old minor named Lava when she was 20.
In a video shared online in June, Ava appeared to be sending a Snapchat message to a minor. The video featured a close-up of her face along with the text “C–ming for America.”
According to the New York Post, the 45-minute video detailed other alleged evidence of Ava and Lava’s inappropriate interactions.
Since the video went viral, Ava has received heavy backlash.
In response to the allegations, she wrote on X, “I would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone. It was not my intent.”
She added, “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.”
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Ava Kris Tyson Reiterates That She Never ‘Groomed Anyone’
In Ava’s X thread, she emphasized that she never groomed anyone and noted that the alleged victim had shut down the allegations as false.
She 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.”
Ava continued in another tweet, “Having said that, I humbly apologise 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.”
“To lump these two factors together to create a narrative that my behavior extended beyond bad edgy jokes is disgusting and did not happen,” Ava 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.”
The embattled YouTuber concluded, “I don’t want these accusations to impact the hundreds of people who work at MrBeast, which is why I have stepped away.”
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Ava Kris Tyson’s Alleged Victim Says He Was Not Groomed
In a separate tweet, Ava’s alleged victim supported the former co-host while slamming YouTubers posting videos about them.
“These videos are massive lies and twisting the truth,” Lava wrote on X. “Ava never did anything wrong and just made a few edgy jokes. I was never exploited or taken advantage of.”
He added, “This situation takes away from children who are actively being exploited everyday online. I am not a victim of anything being claimed in these videos or at all.”
In a follow-up tweet, he doubled down on his stance, saying, “I am not a victim and I am not backpedaling any statements i have already made. Everything i have stated is still very true. Nothing bad happened between me and Kris, people are creating lies around my name.”