One of MrBeast’s YouTube co-hosts, Ava Kris Tyson, announced she’s quitting the popular channel after allegations of grooming a minor.
Tyson, 28, was recently accused of sending inappropriate messages when she was 20 to a then-13-year-old.
Tyson addressed the allegations on social media on Tuesday.
“I would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone,” Tyson began her statement. “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,” she added.
In follow-up tweets, Tyson said, “I want to add, I never groomed anyone. The person who gets brought up in these accusations,” who uses the handle @LavaGS on X and goes by Lava, “has vocally supported that they are false.”
Lava, now 20, wrote, “Ava never did anything wrong and just made a few edgy jokes. I was never exploited or taken advantage of.”
Tyson similarly acknowledged making off-color comments. “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.”
“To lump these two factors together to create a narrative that my behavior extended beyond bad edgy jokes is disgusting and did not happen. 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 added, “I don’t want these accusations to impact the hundreds of people who work at MrBeast, which is why I have stepped away.”
Since 2012, Tyson appeared alongside Mr. Beast, 26, on his YouTube channel that has over 300 million subscribers.
Tyson, who came out as a transgender woman last year, was accused of grooming Ava in a 45-minute video posted online in June by the account Prism42, according to Rolling Stone.
The video claimed Tyson allegedly sent a Snapchat message to the then-minor of her face with the text, “Cumming for America.”
The alleged minor, who goes by @LavaGS on X, denied the allegations made in the video on Monday.
“These videos are massive lies and twisting the truth,” the user wrote on X. “Ava never did anything wrong and just made a few edgy jokes. I was never exploited or taken advantage of.”
“Can you do me a favor and comment on these videos and tell them to stop spreading lies,” they continued. “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.”
Last year, Tyson announced she was undergoing gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy and changing her pronouns to she/her, resulting in online transphobic attacks against her.
Mr. Beast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, defended Tyson last month from the streamer Nickmercs, who accused Tyson of abandoning her 4-year-old son Tucker “to play pretend.”
“Ava is literally always with her kid and doesn’t even go on shoots to spend more time with him,” Mr. Beast wrote on X in defense of his then-co-host. “Tuck man is always smiling, not sure why this rumor is a thing.”
Tyson shares her son with her ex-wife Katie. The former couple separated in 2022.