MrBeast's new video has drawn scrutiny from the Mexican government — and even the president. Here's what's going on.
Earlier this week, the YouTube star — whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson — posted a video exploring several ancient Mayan temples, including Chichen Itza.
"Can't believe the government's letting us do this," the 27-year-old says in the video, after which he reiterates in a voiceover, "Not even archaeologists are allowed to go back here."
In the description of the video, which has 60 million views and counting, Donaldson wrote that the video was filmed "in collaboration with the Mexican Tourism Board," and he thanked the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), a government agency that works to preserve Mexico's cultural heritage.
CNN reported there was initially controversy around Donaldson's access to the sites. On Monday, the INAH said in a statement that the necessary permits had been processed and that INAH personnel were supervising the recordings at all times.
The INAH added that the video seemed to involve extensive post-production work and allude to events that never occurred, including a helicopter descent onto one of the temples and the handling of an ancient mask.
On Wednesday, Sheinbaum spoke publicly about the video. CNN reported that she asked the INAH to report the conditions under which the production permit had been granted. If the permit was violated, she added, then sanctions must be determined.
'It is unfortunate that this has turned into a political issue'
On Thursday, the INAH said in a thread on X that it was bringing a lawsuit against a production company called Full Circle Media that worked with Donaldson on the video. Donaldson himself isn't facing any legal action.
The thread alludes to a moment near the end of the video, when Donaldson is enjoying a traditional Mayan feast. After dinner, he brings out a box of Feastables peanut butter cups for dessert, joking that it's the "only Mayan-approved snack on the planet."
The INAH on X said that while it is open to collaboration to disseminate Mexico's cultural heritage, it condemned those who detract from the value of archaeological sites for commercial gain.
It said the permit granted to Full Circle Media did not authorize the publication of false information or the use of the sites for advertising. The INAH is demanding compensation for damages and a public retraction.
Full Circle Media didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
"This video, similar to the one of the pyramids in Egypt, was meant to highlight these treasured Mexican sites," a source close to MrBeast told Business Insider. "No advertisement material was shot on any archaeological sites overseen by INAH, so it is unfortunate that this has turned into a political issue — hopefully it can lead to a productive dialogue and encourage people to visit these unique historical treasures."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Fewer foreign tourists are visiting NYC. The city is feeling the pinch
Bill Martin says he has heard all kinds of concerns lately from people considering a visit to the United States. 'Worries about getting in, worries about being detained at the border. I think there is a worldwide fear about what is happening here,' said the Australian, who spoke to CNN recently while on an open-air bus tour of New York City. Martin is on a six-week trip that's included a cruise from Tokyo to Vancouver and a stopover in New York. Along the way he says he's had lots of conversations with his fellow travelers about how the US' status as a magnet for tourists has changed. 'There is doubt as to whether people will get in (to the country),' he added. 'And that causes people to think of a better destination to visit than the USA.' Eman Moretti, an Italian who is studying in the United States, said President Donald Trump's hard-line immigration policies have made him nervous about his family visiting him in New York. 'With Trump it was a bit harder even for them to come,' said the student, flanked by his mother, father and his two brothers on a recent midday stroll through Times Square. 'It was challenging, because you never know if people get in through customs. So it was a bit (of a) hostile environment.' 'Your visa could be canceled,' added Javier Muenala, visiting Times Square from Ecuador. 'So it's a lot of risks that many people don't want to take.' This anxiety from foreigners about travel to the US in 2025 is increasingly reflected in the numbers. Spending by international travelers to the United States is expected to be down $12.5 billion this year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Some of the nation's leading tourist destinations, including Orlando, Miami and Los Angeles, are bracing for how the decline will impact businesses that rely on spending from international travelers. The downturn is being felt especially hard in New York City, the nation's top destination for international travel. New York City Tourism + Conventions, the city's official marketing organization, has cut its forecast for international tourists in 2025 by 17%. Julie Coker, the group's CEO and president, told CNN the city is expected to host 2 million fewer international travelers this year than in 2024. 'We are still hopeful, but we are starting to see the bookings slow down some,' Coker said. 'International tourism is extremely important to us because while it only makes up 20 percent of our total visitation, it accounts for 50 percent of our visitor spend. This was to be the year we were to hit pre-Covid levels … and so to have this stall or pause it's what's disappointing.' New York City is the most popular port of entry for international visitors to the US. And more people historically visit the US from Canada than from any other country. But there's recent evidence that some Canadians, offended by the political rhetoric coming from Washington, are boycotting the US. Coker says the decline in New York City tourism is partly the result of having fewer Canadian visitors. Tour operators such as Matt Levy, who has seen a slowdown in business, agrees. 'They're going to Halifax, they're going to Nova Scotia, they're going to Vancouver. They're spending money in their own country, said Levy, owner of Spread Love Tours, which offers customized tours of New York for art lovers, foodies, families and other groups. Levy has been leading tours of the city for three years. He says much of his business relies on international tourism, especially Canadian student groups. But in recent months Levy says Canadian travel agents have told him their clients are avoiding the States because they're unnerved by threats of tariffs or turned off by Trump's comments about making Canada the 51st state. Levy said that if the political climate doesn't improve, business for him will likely be even worse in 2026. 'Next year is going to be hard. Next year is going to be vicious,' he said. 'My three largest Canadian clients, all three of them told me universally (that) the PTA boards aren't going to let the kids come to America. They're going to say, no, we're going to spend money in our country instead,' he said. 'That's 40 percent of my business.' Renée Rewiski has been a tour guide in New York City for more than a decade and says she has not seen numbers like this since the doldrums of the Covid-19 pandemic. 'This time last year (we had) 20 people on the tour. We have five today,' Rewiski said on a recent day as she led a handful of tourists around lower Manhattan. 'I'm just seeing fewer people and from fewer countries,' she said. Rewiski is a guide with Tours by Foot, which offers walking tours of such landmark New York neighborhoods as Brooklyn, Harlem and Greenwich Village. She worries that if something does not change soon, jobs could be at risk. 'I'm not sure what we can do. I'm not sure how to change the attitudes, but just know people are losing their jobs in New York City (and) you're hurting the wrong people,' she said, addressing her comments to foreign tourists. 'The people who are doing some of the things you're not liking are not the ones getting hurt,' she added. 'We're the ones that are being hurt.' Despite the recent headwinds, no one CNN spoke to in the New York travel industry says they're giving up. The hope is the heated political climate will cool down and events such as the 2026 World Cup in nearby East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the US' 250th anniversary next summer will boost interest among international visitors. In the meantime, Coker of NYC Tourism + Conventions says her organization has been promoting the city with a campaign that's been running since May outside the US. It's called, 'With Love + Liberty, New York City.' Coker has a message for anyone thinking about visiting the Big Apple. 'What we say to them is… New York City is open for business,' she says. 'And while we have hit a bump in the road, we're here when you're ready to visit.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bruises, Threats And Obama-Shaped MDMA: 7 Shocking Revelations From Diddy's Trial
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial is well underway, with witnesses painting a picture of a violent and controlling Combs. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have accused the media mogul of using his money and prestige to run a criminal enterprise since at least 2004. He was indicted on five federal charges: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs' apparent downfall comes after his ex, R&B singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura filed a damning lawsuit against him in November 2023. The lawsuit was settled quickly and quietly the following day, but additional accusers came forward alleging that Combs had abused and/or sexually violated them. Some of the accusers were minors at the time of the alleged events. He has denied the allegations against him and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He also rejected a plea deal shortly before the trial started. Combs' attorneys have attempted to downplay the case against him as an attempt to bring down a thriving Black man. In the months that followed, federal authorities raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami, and CNN released a video showing Combs attacking Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Combs, who was once celebrated as a beacon of Black male success, has been held at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest in September. The trial, which is not being televised or recorded, is expected to last around two months. Jury selection began on May 5. Opening statements occurred the following Monday. Many of the witnesses who have taken the stand essentially described Combs as evil. Kid Cudi called him a 'marvel supervillain;' Ventura said his 'eyes [would] go black;' and Bryana Bongolan, a friend to Ventura, said he called himself the 'devil.' If convicted, Combs could spend the rest of his life in jail. Here's a look at some of the most explosive and jarring moments from the trial. 'There was a line of questioning where your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury,' Judge Arun Subramanian told Combs' attorneys on June 5, according to NBC News. 'There should be no efforts to have any interactions with this jury.' The nodding the judge referred to came while Bongolan was on the stand. The judge said that Combs would be removed from the courtroom if he continued. Combs' lead attorney Marc Agnifilo told the judge that the interaction is 'not going to happen again.' 'This cannot happen again,' Subramanian reiterated. A pregnant Ventura took the stand for about a week at the beginning of the trial. At one point, she described what Combs called 'freak-offs.' 'It basically entails the hiring of an escort and setting up this experience so that I could perform for Sean,' Ventura said. The freak-offs allowed for Combs to 'watch me with the other person and actually direct us on what we were doing,' she added. 'Eventually it became a job for me, pretty much,' she claimed, adding that she had to personally reach out to the male escorts and had to participate in the freak-offs even if she was menstruating. She also claimed that he recorded the performances and used them as blackmail against her. Ventura described Combs during sexual encounters: 'His eyes go black. The version of him I was in love with was no longer there,' she said, according to The New York Times. Ventura also discussed being physically abused by Combs. Prosecutors showed the jury images of Ventura's injuries. Some of those images included bruises on her face, back and thigh, and a gash on her eyebrow, USA Today reported. Within two weeks of testifying, Ventura gave birth to her third child with her husband, Alex Fine. Kid Cudi, born Scott Mescudi, briefly dated Ventura in 2011. Mescudi testified on May 22 that Combs broke into his home when he was with Ventura and that he believes he set his luxury vehicle on fire with a Molotov cocktail. 'I'm going to be very candid,' Mescudi said while describing the break-in, according to Rolling Stone. 'I was like, 'Motherfucker, are you in my house?' And he said, 'I just want to talk to you.' I was like, 'I'm on my way over right now.' He was like, 'I'm here.'' But Mescudi did not find Combs when he arrived. He did, however, find that his dog was locked in a bathroom and that Christmas presents had been opened. He said Combs wanted to talk to him, but Mescudi said he responded by telling him, 'You broke into my house. You messed with my dog... Like, I don't want to talk to you.' Mescudi and Ventura stopped seeing each other in late December of 2011. 'The drama, it was just getting out of hand,' Mescudi testified. 'I kind of wanted to give her some space … for my safety, for her safety…' He also told the courtroom that he believed Ventura was 'playing' both him and Combs. Combs' former personal assistant from 2007 to 2009, David James, testified on May 19 that he personally acquired drugs for Combs before. James claimed that Combs used to take opiates during the day and ecstasy at night, according to CNN. Some of the ecstasy pills were shaped like former President Barack Obama, according to James. James also described Combs' drug use in more depth, including informing the jury of a 'medicine bag' that Combs brought around with him, according to Business Insider. 'There were probably 25 to 30 different pillboxes or pill bottles,' James said, according to BI. 'Some were like Advil, Tylenol. He had water pills to help him lose weight. He had Viagra in there. He had some pills that helped increase his sperm count, for example.' 'He did have ecstasy and Percocets in there, as well,' James added. Former member of the music groups Danity Kane and Diddy—Dirty Money, Dawn Richard, testified on May 16 that Combs compelled people in his orbit to stay quiet because 'where he comes from, people who say something can end up missing.' Richard described watching Combs beat Ventura when she took too long to cook his dinner, Business Insider reported. 'He took the skillet with the eggs in it and tried to hit her in the head, and she fell to the ground,' Richard testified. The next day, Combs told Richard and Ventura that 'what we saw was passion, and it was what lovers in a relationship do.' He also told them 'he was trying to take us to the top, and that, where he comes from, people go missing if they say things like that, like, if people talk. And then he gave us flowers,' according to Business Insider's report. Richard filed her own lawsuit against Combs in September 2024. She accused him of sexual assault, retaliation, threatening to end her life and refusing to pay her. Capricorn Clark had an on-and-off working relationship with Combs between 2004 and 2018, at one point working as his former assistant and as the marketing head for Sean Jean at another. She testified on May 27 that Combs kidnapped her at gunpoint in 2011 to kill Mescudi when he learned that Ventura was dating him. According to Clark, Combs came to her home in the early morning with a gun out, told her to get dressed, and said, 'We're going to go kill [Mescudi],' according to NPR. They went inside of Mescudi's house while he was not home, which Mescudi described in his own testimony. Clark claimed that Combs threatened to kill her if she informed the authorities. In a separate instance, Clark said Combs locked her in a building in Manhattan and subjected her to numerous lie detector tests when some of his jewelry went missing, NPR also reported. She said the man testing her told her that she would be 'thrown into the East River' if she failed. 'I was petrified,' Clark said. Mia, the pseudonym for a former assistant for Combs who he tasked with keeping an eye on Ventura, while taking the stand on May 29, described an instance in which Combs attacked Ventura at Prince's house in 2011 or 2012, according to The New York Times. 'Cass and I debated like little kids if we should sneak out of the house,' Mia reportedly said. But Combs showed up at the party. 'Oh, crap,' Mia recalled thinking when she saw her then-boss. 'Me and Cass just booked it.' When Combs caught them, he beat Cassie until a security guard for Prince interfered, according to USA Today. Mia claimed she was fired the next day for 'being insubordinate.' While on the stand, she also testified that Combs sexually assaulted her on more than one occasion. 'I couldn't tell him no about a sandwich — I couldn't tell him no about anything,' she said, according to the Times. 'There was no way I could tell him no, because then he would know that I thought what he was doing was wrong and then I would be a target.' Need help? Visit RAINN's National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website. Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Trump Weighs In On Possible Sean 'Diddy' Combs Pardon: 'He Used To Really Like Me' Cassie's Lawsuit Against Diddy Started A Movement Many Didn't See Coming 'Marvel Supervillain': Kid Cudi Describes Meeting With Diddy After Molotov Cocktail Hit His Porsche
CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
From Denver to Mecca: A CNN producer's personal pilgrimage to Islam's holiest site
Millions of Muslims around the world celebrate Eid as the annual pilgrimage of Hajj reaches its end. Among the 2 million worshippers is one of CNN's producers, Kareem El Damanhoury, who shares his journey with you.
