Katie Jones/Beauty Inc via Getty Images; Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Prime Video
Celebrity brands can be as risky as they are glamorous, and last year was no exception.
The most serious scandal — and dramatic financial downfall — was that of Sean Combs, who was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering, allegations the rapper denies.
But other A-listers, like Blake Lively and MrBeast, faced reputational damage in 2024. Their unravelings — and the effects they have had on their businesses and partners — show just how dangerous it can be to rely on star power to propel a business.
"2024 taught us that no creator — no matter the scale of their success or support — is immune from controversy," Nate Harris, a VP at creator marketing platform CreatorIQ, told Business Insider.
For decades, Combs exemplified how a star can monetize their fame. However, since he was first accused of rape and abuse in November 2023, his fall from grace has been swift, and his businesses have taken hit after hit.
Diageo, his partner of more than a decade, said it best: "Mr. Combs is well-aware that these lawsuits make it impossible for him to continue to be the 'face' of anything," lawyers for the liquor giant wrote in a letter to a judge after the sexual assault lawsuits started pouring in.
Diageo is now reportedly considering offloading Cîroc, the vodka brand Combs represented. It may be a tough sell given its synonymity with Diddy, who has denied any wrongdoing.
"Combs went from cultural icon to cautionary tale in record time," Stacy Jones, the CEO of the branding agency Hollywood Branded, told BI.
But celebrity fallout — and the toll it has on a business — does not have to be so pronounced.
Take the Blake Lively backlash. Upon the premiere of her film "It Ends With Us," the actor faced an onslaught of negative press and social media attacks, calling her difficult to work with and resurfacing unflattering clips of her past behavior.
Whether justified or not — Lively has sued Justin Baldoni, her costar and director, saying he conducted a retaliatory smear campaign — the attacks had a negative effect on her hair care line Blake Brown, the company said in a report cited by The New York Times. The hair care line said it lost as much as 78% of its sales, according to the Times.
Blake Brown is a joint venture with Give Back Beauty, a celebrity brand incubator. Give Back Beauty, Blake Brown, and representatives for Lively did not respond to BI's requests for comment.
Similar reputational damage came for Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson, the world's most popular YouTube star who was set to break through into traditional media this year with the Amazon Prime show "Beast Games."
While Amazon has not disclosed the show's budget, Donaldson said the series cost more than $100 million. Amazon hoped it would attract advertisers to the platform.
"Beast Games" was marred by controversy for months before it debuted. Contestants said they sustained injuries and complained about what they described as a lack of medical care and food on set at a preliminary shoot for the show in Las Vegas. The show was also received negatively by critics, earning a 14% on Rotton Tomatoes.
"The MrBeast promotional video shoot, which included over 2,000 participants, was unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues, which we reviewed, and are grateful that virtually all of those invited to Toronto enthusiastically accepted our invitation," a representative for MrBeast told BI, adding that they "continue to comply with standard industry rules and regulations."
While it is performing well, according to Amazon's own rankings, the entire ordeal was a headache for the tech company — and it may turn out to cost the streamer. One Amazon insider told BI that they believed the negative press affected ad sales. A number of "Beast Games" contestants also filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging sexual harassment and pay issues, among other complaints.
MrBeast's representative said he has not been served, but declined to comment further on the lawsuit.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment from BI.
To be sure, some brands had blockbuster years. Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty is reportedly receiving investment offers at a billion-dollar valuation, and Kim Kardashian's Skims opened its own brick-and-mortar stores.
Those success stories may be reason enough for brands to continue to partner with celebrities or investors to put money into celebrity businesses.
Going forward, more caution will be taken when choosing partners and deciding whether to maintain those partnerships, Harris and Jones said.
Part of that means properly vetting celebrities or influencers by using tools that assess the online sentiment — positive or negative — around those stars and whether they align with the current cultural moment.
Brands are more often evaluating partners based on their content around politics, competitor mentions, profanity, illicit substances, and sensitive social issues.
And when a celebrity does go out of line, brands will be more proactive in distancing themselves.
"Brands are increasingly swift in cutting ties with problematic figures to protect their own integrity," Jones said.
"Audiences understand that brands aren't always to blame for a celebrity's actions, but they expect clear, thoughtful responses when controversies arise," she added.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Prime Video
MrBeast has found his MrsBeast.
The world's most popular YouTuber — real name Jimmy Donaldson — has announced his engagement to his girlfriend Thea Booysen.
In an Instagram post on New Year's Day, the 26-year-old shared images of his proposal, writing: "Ya boy did a thing."
A carousel of photos shows Donaldson, dressed in a Christmas sweater, down on one knee, as well as a close-up of Booysen with her new ring.
With over 341 million YouTube subscribers, MrBeast has become a household name in recent years.
But Booysen — a fellow YouTuber with almost 40,000 subscribers on her channel TheaBeasty — may be less familiar. Here's what we know about her and the proposal.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
According to People, the pair crossed paths for the first time in 2022 while Donaldson was visiting Booysen's home country of South Africa.
A mutual friend had invited Booysen along to dinner with Donaldson, and it seems the pair quickly hit it off, with Donaldson saying they "vibed instantly."
"When I met him, I was quite surprised how down-to-earth he was, and also how intelligent he was," Booysen told People, adding that she was "surprised to see that he's actually a nice guy."
Donaldson added: "I knew within the first few minutes of meeting that I wanted the chance to date her. Thankfully, she also felt a strong connection."
Like Donaldson, Booysen, 27, is also a content creator.
She typically posts gaming playthrough videos of action role-playing games like "The Witcher" and "League of Legends," going by the online moniker "TheaBeasty."
Booysen also has another YouTube account titled More Than Human, where she posts videos on psychology. She announced in November that she had graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Master's degree in Human Cognitive Neuropsychology.
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images and Thea Booysen via YouTube
Booysen also launched her debut young adult fiction novel, "The Marked Children," in August 2022.
After Donaldson's trip to South Africa ended, he reportedly began speaking to Booysen online.
What began with an inquiry about the book she was writing turned into a three-hour phone call, People reported.
Following that, Donaldson returned to South Africa, and the two "started dating the moment he arrived," per Booysen.
"I fell in love with his brain. To me [that's] everything — your brain, your drive, your discipline, your character, that's everything to me," she said.
Speaking on the "Wide Awake Podcast" in 2022, Booysen said that she eventually decided to apply for a US visa to visit Donaldson in Greenville, North Carolina, where the YouTuber is based.
The couple made their first public appearance at the Kids' Choice Awards in 2022, where Donaldson was awarded a prize for "Favorite Male Creator."
Booysen later shared a picture of herself with Donaldson at the event on Instagram, calling it an "amazing night."
Donaldson became embroiled in a string of controversies last year.
In August 2024, The New York Times reported on safety concerns surrounding the production of his Prime Video show, "Beast Games."
Clips of Donaldson using insensitive language also resurfaced online, and he separately cut ties with an employee who was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a minor.
Booysen stood by Donaldson's side amid the uproar.
Indy100 reported that Booysen responded to a comment on one of her YouTube videos that told her to "get away from the Beast as soon as you can," writing: "I appreciate the message. There is so much that is not being said, I wish I could talk more about the situation. Half the things that are said are not true. I wouldn't be with him if they were. It is so important to me to be a good person."
Speaking to People, Donaldson said that he planned a "really private and intimate" proposal.
"My friends thought I would want to propose in a very public way, like some sort of spectacle at the Super Bowl or somewhere else really big like that, but I knew that I wanted it to be the opposite," he said.
Donaldson proposed to Booysen on Christmas Day while the pair were at home surrounded by family.
"My family flew out from South Africa for Christmas and we were going to do Christmas in our house so both families were here. We were opening presents, and then for the very last present he asked me to close my eyes because it was a surprise," Booysen said.
The couple are now considering an island wedding "far away from just about everybody," she continued. "We're not going to try and have a big, extravagant wedding. It's going to be nice, but it's certainly going to be intimate [with] close family and friends."
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Prime Video
MrBeast is already plotting his next move to stay ahead of the competition. The second season of "Squid Game" premiered on Netflix on December 26, and the YouTuber has teased a plan to recreate it.
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is the biggest YouTuber in the world with 340 million subscribers.
In November 2021, Donaldson built his own version of the "Squid Game" set, complete with the "red light, green light" doll, bunk bed dorm, huge tug-of-war arena, and $456,000 prize.
The costs set him back $3.5 million, but that's not deterring him from looking to try it again.
"Should I recreate Squid Games 2 in real life like we did with the first season?" Donaldson asked his followers on X on December 27.
Responses have been mixed, with some excited by the prospect of another real-life "Squid Game." The first video racked up 685 million views, so the appetite is likely there.
But others recommended Donaldson look inward and address some of the controversy that has surrounded his own show first.
The second season of "Squid Game" has been hotly anticipated for three years. The Korean-language Netflix series follows characters who, downtrodden and disadvantaged, opt into a lethal contest where they play children's games for a huge cash prize — being brutally killed if they lose.
Meanwhile, Donaldson has been furiously promoting his new show, "Beast Games," on social media since the first episode aired on December 17. For example, he said he would give away a share of $100,000 to 10 random people who reposted a promotion of "Beast Games" on X.
Donaldson also used Netflix's promotion of "Squid Game" to draw attention to "Beast Games," commenting under posts to remind people that the third episode would be dropping on December 26 as well.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Reviews of "Beast Games" have been mixed. Business Insider's Katie Notopoulos said it was entertaining but she worried about what message it sends about money to younger viewers.
The Guardian gave the show two stars and labeled it "one of the most undignified spectacles ever shown on TV," while an IGN review determined the show to be "almost entirely wearisome."
Before the show's release, Donaldson had to defend himself against allegations about treatment on set.
Some contestants told The New York Times they weren't given enough food and had to wait hours or sometimes days to receive their medication or basic hygiene supplies during the promotional shoot in Las Vegas. They also alleged that some contestants were injured during challenges, and many needed medical care.
Five contestants are seeking class-action status for a lawsuit filed in September alleging dangerous working conditions.
Amazon declined to comment on the lawsuit to BI. A spokesperson for Donaldson previously told BI that Amazon was not involved in the Las Vegas round of the show.
The spokesperson also said that this shoot was "unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues."
While things seemed to improve in Toronto, where the majority of the Amazon show was filmed, some crew members told Rolling Stone that it continued to be "wild" and "disorganized," with a lack of air conditioning and some unsafe conditions due to flooding.
Donaldson's ambitious recreation of "Squid Game" and his reputation for pushing the limits with his content was likely one of the reasons Amazon wanted to partner with him for "Beast Games."
The YouTuber has a way of staying on top with his philanthropy and the scale of his stunts, so the negative public perception of "Beast Games" could blow over in time.
But partnering with a giant like Amazon has put more eyes on him than ever. Creator economy experts previously told BI that Donaldson may find it harder to fund his next big project because of the negative headlines it has generated.
"They'll still do partnerships with him," Diana D'Angelo, the CEO of Breaking Creatives Agency, told BI. "But maybe they'll put a bigger check on what he's actually doing and how it's being done."
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Prime Video
If you've been online, then it's nearly impossible you've avoided the internet's biggest star: MrBeast.
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has an enormous audience online, including over 338 million YouTube subscribers. That makes him the top creator on the platform.
Read: What it's like to work for MrBeast, according to former employees
He posted his first video in 2012 and has dozens of viral videos, including his recreation of Netflix's "Squid Games," which has over 670 million views. He runs several YouTube channels, from MrBeast Gaming to channels dubbed in other languages like Spanish, French, Russian, and Arabic.
Donaldson earns money through brand sponsorships, YouTube ad revenue, merchandise, content licensing, syndication, and more. Documents filed in court in October revealed 163 slides of MrBeast's pitches for brands, including Ford, CarMax, and Walmart.
Read: Court documents reveal how MrBeast pitches brands on sponsoring his YouTube empire
Donaldson's massive business also includes a chocolate and snack brand called Feastables and a charity organization.
Read: YouTube star MrBeast expects to earn 700 million in revenue this year
Instead of packing up and moving to Hollywood when he made it big, Donaldson decided to grow his business from his hometown in Greenville, North Carolina.
Read: In Greenville, North Carolina, everyone has a MrBeast story
AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Donaldson's latest venture is a 10-episode physical competition show on Amazon Prime Video in which contestants compete for a $5 million prize. Earlier this year, discourse and controversy arose around production for the show, which is called "Beast Games."
Read: The Internet's love affair with YouTube's biggest star is showing cracks
Business Insider previously spoke with two Amazon insiders who said that the show faced risks from the start and that Amazon agreed to give Donaldson creative control and approval over ad sponsors.
Read: How Amazon's massive TV deal with YouTube's top star turned sour
BI also viewed documents that contestants of the show's preliminary round were asked to agree to. The terms prohibit contestants from disclosing information about the show, and those who break the agreement before the last episode airs must pay the producer and network $500,000 for each breach, the documents said.
Read: Leaked MrBeast docs reveal "Beast Games" contestant terms
Read more about Donaldson's success, controversies, and business:
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
The creator economy is hitting an inflection point heading into 2025: TikTok is in the throes of a potential extinction event. MrBeast is testing the limits of influencer megastardom. And there's an ongoing changing of the guard at YouTube — the platform that arguably started it all.
Birthed in the mid-2000s, the creator economy has grown into a $250 billion industry and could be worth as much as half a trillion dollars by 2027, Goldman Sachs estimates.
At the same time, growth has been constrained: Increased competition and platform algorithmic changes are making it harder for some smaller creators to thrive.
And while venture capital is still flowing — particularly in buzzy areas like artificial intelligence, social shopping, and influencer marketing — the investor hype cycle has also slowed.
Here are some of the biggest high points and low points the creator economy faced this year — and some challenges ahead in 2025:
A potential TikTok ban is one of the biggest threats looming over the creator economy. The app reliably churns out stars, resides at the heart of internet culture, and serves as an engine for countless e-commerce startups.
TikTok Shop helped social shopping finally break through in the US in 2024 — driving $100 million in sales on Black Friday alone and becoming more popular among US online shoppers than Shein and Sephora, according to a report by Coefficient Capital and The New Consumer.
Amanda Perelli/Business Insider.
TikTok may be saved by the Supreme Court or a more amenable Trump administration. But if a ban is enacted, up-and-coming creators are likely to be hit hardest.
Some are sounding the alarm, while others have told Business Insider they're hopeful they can transition audiences to YouTube and Instagram — which staged something of a comeback in 2024, winning over more teens — or even LinkedIn.
TikTok has remained somewhat unfazed in the face of the legal battle — though CEO Shou Chew has reportedly made direct and indirect overtures to president-elect Donald Trump as the case heads to the Supreme Court.
Perhaps no modern-day creator has achieved heights like Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson, whose ambitious but challenging 2024 could serve as a blueprint — or cautionary tale — for fellow creators.
That said, YouTube's most-subscribed star has a way of staying on top. Beloved for his generosity and what some see as his authenticity, Donaldson not only reaches untold masses but resonates with a coveted young male demographic.
In July, allegations emerged that Donaldson's childhood friend and longtime video collaborator, Ava Tyson, had inappropriately messaged a minor. (Tyson wrote on X in July that any accusations of grooming were false, adding: "I would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone.") Tyson and Donaldson parted ways.
A third-party investigation ultimately concluded that any allegations of sexual contact between company employees and minors were "without basis." It said there had been isolated incidents of "workplace harassment" and that the company had taken swift action to deal with those.
AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Meanwhile, Donaldson also garnered headlines this year for "Beast Games," a streaming game show that premiered in December on Amazon Prime.
The show, which he said cost more than $100 million, amplified his already massive production scope and diversified his reach beyond his home turf.
The show has attracted some controversy, with some contestants complaining about filming conditions and injuries they say they sustained. Donaldson has previously said he couldn't comment on certain allegations, but also described some of the claims as "disinformation." Amazon hasn't commented.
YouTube's outright dominance — with a reported $400 billion valuation — sometimes has a tendency to fly under the radar. But the world's largest video platform further cemented its status this year as the go-to revenue-sharer for creators.
Alphabet-owned YouTube has also emerged as an irrefutable powerhouse on TV screens — an all-important venue for advertisers — and in the influential podcast space. YouTube has long led Netflix in big screen watch time, and it's also the most popular way for people to consume podcasts, per Edison Research.
Tragically, 2024 marked the death of creator economy architect Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube CEO who shepherded key ventures like YouTube Premium and YouTube TV into the world. (Wojcicki had stepped down in early 2023.)
Despite countless wins, a long-running trend also continued of veteran creators retiring from their channels or floating the idea of quitting, with many citing age, burnout, and increased pressure amid platform changes.
The Game Theorists/YouTube
Two formative creators officially left the platform in 2024: "Game Theorists" host Matthew Patrick and education creator Tom Scott.
And creators who rose to fame on YouTube also brought their bold-faced projects elsewhere this year — Donaldson's aforementioned Amazon show, Jake Paul's fight with Mike Tyson on Netflix, and a reality series by YouTube collective The Sidemen, which also transitioned to Netflix.
MrBeast / X
MrBeast has shared some photos of the "city" he built as part of his upcoming game show, "Beast Games," which he says cost $14 million.
"We spent $14,000,000 building a city in a field for the contestants in Beast Games to live and compete in," MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, wrote on X, alongside four photos of the set. "December 19th is almost here 🥰"
Donaldson, YouTube's biggest star with 335 million subscribers, has already shared some details about the scale of production on "Beast Games."
In an interview with fellow YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul, Donaldson revealed he'd "spent way more than $100 million" on the show and recently shared that the production had broken 40 world records.
Amazon has also promoted "Beast Games" as "the world's largest live gameshow" with the "biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming" of $5 million.
It premiers on Prime Video on December 19 and is supposed to kick-start Amazon's video ad sales efforts by attracting a wide audience and appealing to advertisers.
MrBeast / X
In one X post, Donaldson was asked how he planned to make up the money he spent on "Beast Games."
"The goal is to make the best content possible not make money," he replied.
In the trailer, which dropped on December 6, Donaldson promised that "Beast Games" would be "the most insane competition show you've ever seen" with 1,000 contestants. Clips included footage of the $5 million grand prize, a massive pirate ship, monster trucks, Navy seals, and stunts.
One of the photos Donaldson shared was "a render of the city," which had a moat running around the outside.
"We ran out of time and didn't get around to building the moat," he said in response to one query on X. "But everything else is accurate."
MrBeast / X
The set of the specially built "city" is in Toronto, CBC reported in September.
Toronto City Hall's film and entertainment department confirmed to the outlet that it was the site but declined to comment further for "confidentiality reasons."
Donaldson's rep confirmed the city's site as Toronto and told BI that Donaldson donated many of the goods used in the shoot, including mattresses, sleeping bags, and clothing, to local organizations afterward.
Paramedics and firefighters confirmed to CBC that they were aware of the production, and police told the outlet that its department's explosive disposal unit was consulted.
CBC drone footage showed a large cement tower and two rows of single-story houses surrounded by a red wall.
MrBeast / X
"Beast Games" aligns with Amazon's strategy of increasing spending on entertainment and sports content.
The show's coverage has not been entirely smooth sailing, though. Both Donaldson and conditions on set have faced bad press.
Some contestants have complained about inadequate living conditions, injuries, insufficient hygiene on set, and being subjected to sexism in a New York Times report. Five contestants are seeking to file a class-action lawsuit, though a rep for Donaldson told BI nobody has been served yet.
Amazon declined to comment on the lawsuit to BI. A spokesperson for Donaldson previously told BI that Amazon was not involved in the Las Vegas round of the show, where many of the allegations surfaced, which was "a promotional video shoot."
The spokesperson also said that this shoot was "unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues."
Much of the rumors and allegations directed at Donaldson and the show went unanswered for months until Donaldson appeared on YouTube Oompaville's channel to address everything at once on November 23.
Donaldson said he could not address some of the allegations due to legal proceedings, but he described some of the claims about injuries on set as "disinformation."
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Youtube
MrBeast said his upcoming $100 million Amazon reality show "Beast Games" broke 40 Guinness World Records.
"Guinness just dropped off some of the world records we broke while filming Beast Games lol," MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, wrote on X on Wednesday. "IM SO EXCITED TO DROP THIS SHOW IN 22 DAYS 🥰"
Guinness just dropped off some of the world records we broke while filming Beast Games lol. IM SO EXCITED TO DROP THIS SHOW IN 22 DAYS 🥰 pic.twitter.com/I9m08olhD3
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) November 27, 2024
While he didn't reveal the full details of the records, he hinted at a few, including the largest cash prize in a game show, the most cables for a show, and the "largest island given away in a show."
Donaldson, 26, is YouTube's biggest creator, with 332 million subscribers. He rose to fame with his ambitious stunts, including recreating Netflix's "Squid Game."
"Beast Games" is along the same vein, featuring at least 1,000 contestants.
Amazon has promoted it as "the world's largest live gameshow" with the "biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming" of $5 million.
Amazon announced the reality competition in March. It was supposed to kick-start Amazon's video ad sales efforts, attracting a wide audience and appealing to advertisers.
However, coverage of the show has not been entirely smooth sailing.
As well as complaints from contestants about inadequate living conditions, some have also said they were injured, not given access to hygiene products and medical care, and subjected to sexism in a New York Times report, and a class-action lawsuit five of them filed in September.
Amazon declined to comment on the lawsuit to BI. A spokesperson for Donaldson previously told BI that Amazon was not involved in the Las Vegas round of the show, where many of the allegations surfaced, which was "a promotional video shoot."
The spokesperson also said that this shoot was "unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues."
Much of the rumors and allegations directed at Donaldson and the show went unanswered for months until Donaldson appeared on YouTube Oompaville's channel to address everything at once on November 23.
Donaldson said he could not address some of the allegations due to legal proceedings, but he described some of the claims about injuries on set as "disinformation."
Since then, Donaldson has also been more outspoken on his social media.
"We have tons of behind-the-scenes dropping when the show does to show how blown out of proportion these claims were," he wrote on X in response to a user who enquired about the "terrible conditions" on the show. "Just can't release it now because it would spoil the games."
None of the above has tempered production of "Beast Games," with Donaldson releasing a teaser on November 25, saying he had "poured everything I have into this show."
"I'll see you December 19th," he said, confirming the show's release date.
Here's a little teaser for Beast Games! I spent over a year creating this 10 episode competition series, breaking 40 world records, building the craziest sets in entertainment history, featuring 1,000 players, and a $5,000,000 grand prize! I poured everything I have into this… pic.twitter.com/cjStGESIcn
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) November 25, 2024
Donaldson previously revealed he'd "spent way more than $100 million" on "Beast Games." He didn't clarify if this was the budget for one season, but the show has only been commissioned for one so far.
The move lines up with Amazon's strategy of increasing spending on entertainment and sports content, which "Beast Games" was supposed to be a benchmark for.
Donaldson has largely shrugged off bad press over the years, but partnering with a giant like Amazon has put more eyes on him than ever.
Creator economy experts previously told BI that "Beast Games" would not be going anywhere despite the negative headlines. But they warned that the top YouTuber may find it harder to fund his next big project because of the headache it caused Amazon.
"They'll still do partnerships with him," Diana D'Angelo, the CEO of Breaking Creatives Agency, told BI. "But maybe they'll put a bigger check on what he's actually doing and how it's being done."
