Latest news with #NationalInstituteofAnthropologyandHistory
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
MrBeast Youtuber James Donaldson denies wrongdoing over Mayan ruins video
YouTuber MrBeast has denied he violated Mexican government permits while filming a video at an ancient archaeological site. James Donaldson, who boasts more than 300 million subscribers on YouTube, posted a video last week that showed him and several friends touring the inside of the ruins, visiting an archaeological site after dark and climbing up a Mayan pyramid. Chichén Itzá is a complex of Mayan ruins on the Yucatán Peninsula and is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Visitors are welcome to view the site but are not to climb the pyramids or visit after nightfall. "I can't believe the government is letting us do this," Donaldson says at one point during the video. "Nobody gets to go where we're going." Shortly after the video was released, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History released a statement saying that a production company that worked with Donaldson violated the terms of the agreement by monetising the video. INAH said it was lodging the suit against the firm called Full Circle Media. "The permission granted to Full Circle Media … did not authorise … the use of images of the archaeological site for for-profit advertisements of private brands," INAH said. The video shows Donaldson displaying one of his brand's chocolate bars and calling it the "only Mayan-approved snack on the planet". When asked about the incident, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she wanted a report about what happened. "The information is that he had permission from the INAH, and now we need the INAH to tell us under what conditions this permission was granted," she said. "And if the permission was violated, then what sanctions will be imposed." Mexican Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel said Donaldson was authorised to publish "false information or use images of heritage sites for commercial advertising". But the YouTuber denied this was in violation of his agreement with the INAH. In a statement posted to his X account, Donaldson said he wanted to "clear some false things being said". "Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people," it said. "We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their culture, much like we did with our Pyramids video". He said he and his team filmed with full permits, followed guidelines and had representatives from government agencies following them as well as archaeologists to make sure the information they were sharing was accurate. "They were aware of us mentioning Feastables in the video but for respect of the sites, it was filmed off site from any national monuments. "The dinner scene where I made the Feastables joke was not near any Mayan temples." Lauda Sansores, the governor of Mexico's Campeche State, took to social media to thank Donaldson for visiting. Mr Donaldson referred to her comments in his statement, saying: "This video represents enormous publicity for the state, more than 56 million views in just four days." The video shows high production with audio and video editing and it is unclear how much of it was actually shot at the historical site. Later in a supplementary statement provided to The New York Times, the INAH appeared to soften its stance on the matter. "Despite the distorted information provided by the YouTuber, the dissemination of this type of material may motivate young audiences in Mexico and around the world to learn about our ancestral cultures and visit archaeological sites."
India Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
MrBeast addresses backlash over Mexico vlog, says filming followed all rules
YouTuber MrBeast reacted to the backlash over his recent video shot in ancient Mayan sites, saying he followed all protocols and had official permission during Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, responded to the controversy surrounding his video titled 'I Survived 100 Hours in an Ancient Temple', which premiered on 10 May. The video showed him and his team exploring archaeological locations in Southeastern Mexico, swimming in cenotes, dining on Maya-style cuisine, and spending a night inside a While the video garnered millions of views shortly after its release, it also drew strong criticism from Mexican officials and archaeologists. Several social media users also accused the content creator of using Mexico's cultural heritage for profit. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) clarified that while it had permitted filming, it had not approved the monetisation of the content or the use of the sites to promote MrBeast's the weekend, MrBeast issued a statement denying the accusations. He said the goal of the video was to raise global interest in Mexican and Mayan culture.'I've seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said,' MrBeast wrote in a post on X, adding, 'Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We are not and have never been sued by them lol. That is false and it saddens me to see people spreading lies.'advertisementHe clarified that the team operated with full permits, had officials and archaeologists on-site throughout the filming, and respected all rules. He even shared a screenshot of a message from the state governor supporting the production.'They were aware of us mentioning Feastables in the video but for respect of the sites, it was filmed off site from any national monuments,' he explained. 'The dinner scene where I made the Feastables joke was not near any Mayan temples.'MrBeast also revealed that his team helped fund wells and water projects in the region. He mentioned working with INAH to support local archaeological work. 'We also never planned on sharing this, but as always my hand is forced by false headlines,' he YouTuber expressed disappointment at how the story was presented online. 'I hope to go back someday and continue to share how awesome the culture is with the world, sad to see this get distorted.'Take a look at the post here: Officials, however, remained firm. Mexico's Ministry of Culture said it would look into sanctions and potential legal action. The minister even said that cultural heritage must not be used for commercial clarified that it had issued formal approval for the visit and had officials on-site to supervise. It also confirmed that the filming complied with regulations. However, it said that certain scenes, such as a helicopter landing and drone activity inside the Kukulkan pyramid, appeared to be fabricated in Claudia Sheinbaum said the broadcast was authorised but asked the agency to clarify the terms of the maintained that he intended to honour and promote Mexican heritage, not exploit Reel
NDTV
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
MrBeast Responds To Backlash Over Ancient Mexican Temple Video: "It Saddens Me To See..."
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has reacted to the controversy surrounding a vlog he recorded while visiting ancient Mayan cities in Southeastern Mexico. The YouTuber released a video titled "I Survived 100 Hours in an Ancient Temple," on May 10, and it received millions of views in no time. In the clip, MrBeast and his team explore historic sites, swim in cenotes, eat Maya-style food and spend a night in a temple. The video drew condemnation from Mexican officials, archaeologists and the public, who accused the YouTuber of exploiting the cultural heritage. The video was also criticised by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which said that they had given MrBeast permission to film at the sites, but not to monetise the content or use it to advertise his products. Now, over the weekend, MrBeast released a statement, announcing his true intention of bringing eyes to the country and revealing that there was no issue with filming as he got permission from the government agencies and even had archaeologists walking them through everything. He also shared a picture showing a message from the state governor where filming took place that defended MrBeast and his team. I've seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said. Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their… — MrBeast (@MrBeast) May 18, 2025 "I've seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said. Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their culture, much like we did with our Pyramids video. We are not and have never been sued by them lol. That is false and it saddens me to see people spreading lies," MrBeast wrote on X. "We filmed with full permits, followed guidelines, had representatives from government agencies following us, Mexican archeologists to make sure we were accurate, AND representatives from the sites to ensure we were following the rules. The governor of the state we shot in even came out in our defense," he added. The YouTuber further clarified that officials knew he would be promoting his chocolate brand and made sure not to film any content near national monuments. "They were aware of us mentioning Feastables in the video but for respect of the sites, it was filmed off site from any national monuments. The dinner scene where I made the Feastables joke was not near any mayan temples," he wrote. The YouTuber also shared the philanthropic work that his team conducted while out in Mexico. "We also never planned on sharing this, but as always my hand is forced by false headlines - behind the scenes we funded wells and water projects in the state, I've also been working with INAH on a fund to support local Mexican archeology and new discoveries because I wanted to help spread the culture as a thanks for allowing us to film," MrBeast said. "I hope to go back someday and continue to share how awesome the culture is with the world, sad to see this get distorted," he concluded. Notably, MrBeast's statement comes after the Ministry of Culture in Mexico said it would impose sanctions and take legal action against the YouTuber for allegedly misrepresenting events and violating the intended use of cultural heritage sites. The INAH responded to the controversy by stating that the visit and the recording were conducted in response to "formal requests". The government agency stated that their staff was present during the shoot to guarantee site safety and adherence to preservation guidelines. It also confirmed that the filming was done in accordance with the law. But it emphasised that several scenes, including the claimed helicopter landing, drone flights inside the Kukulkan pyramid, and the usage of an old mask, were made up in post-production. Separately, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the "broadcast" was permitted, but she asked the INAH to report "under what conditions this permit was granted."
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
MrBeast reacts to backlash over exploiting Mayan pyramids in Mexico: ‘It saddens me to see people spreading lies'
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, responded to growing criticism and misinformation surrounding a recent vlog he filmed while visiting ancient Mayan sites in southeastern Mexico, including Calakmul and Chichén Itzá. On Sunday, May 18, the YouTube star addressed the controversy sparked by his latest video, titled 'I Explored 2,000 Year Old Ancient Temples.' In the video, MrBeast explores historic Mayan pyramids and promotes his Feastables chocolate brand. The video drew backlash from Mexican officials and cultural groups, who accused MrBeast of exploiting the country's cultural heritage. According to The Guardian, President Claudia Sheinbaum questioned whether proper authorisation had been granted for filming, while the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) issued a complaint stating that the permit obtained by MrBeast's production team did not include permission to film at archaeological zones. In response, MrBeast clarified that he had followed all necessary procedures. 'I got permission from multiple government agencies, had archaeologists with us guiding us through the ruins, and followed every rule,' he stated. To reinforce his point, he also shared a message of support from the governor of the state where the filming took place. 'My goal was to bring attention to the beauty and history of Mexico, not to disrespect it,' MrBeast said. 'I've seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said. Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their culture, much like we did with our Pyramids video. We are not and have never been sued by them lol,' he wrote on X. See here: I've seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said. Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their… — MrBeast (@MrBeast) May 18, 2025 The YouTuber continued, 'That is false, and it saddens me to see people spreading lies. We filmed with full permits, followed guidelines, had representatives from government agencies following us, Mexican archeologists to make sure we were accurate, AND representatives from the sites to ensure we were following the rules. The governor of the state we shot in even came out in our defense.' MrBeast further clarified that his team had been transparent with officials about their plans to promote his Feastables chocolate brand during the trip and took care to avoid filming near any national monuments. He also revealed the philanthropic efforts his team undertook while in Mexico. 'We also never planned on sharing this, but as always my hand is forced by false headlines — behind the scenes we funded wells and water projects in the state,' MrBeast wrote. 'I've also been working with INAH on a fund to support local Mexican archaeology and new discoveries because I wanted to help spread the culture as a thanks for allowing us to film,' he clarified. In addition, Layda Elena Sansores, the Governor of Campeche, released a public statement expressing her gratitude to MrBeast and his team for their visit. She thanked them for shining a spotlight on the region and using their platform to bring greater visibility to the area. We are deeply grateful to @MrBeast for visiting Calakmul and sharing the grandeur of our Mayan culture with the world. His presence brought a direct economic boost to local communities and greatly contributed to the global promotion of our tourism. He did not charge a single peso… — Layda Sansores (@LaydaSansores) May 14, 2025 MrBeast, often referred to as the King of YouTube, is currently the platform's most-subscribed creator, with 395 million subscribers. His video exploring the Mayan pyramids was released on May 10.
Daily Tribune
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Tribune
Mexico Accuses YouTube Star MrBeast of Misusing Mayan Heritage Sites for Commercial Gain
YouTube megastar MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is facing accusations from Mexican authorities over his recent viral video filmed at ancient Mayan archaeological sites. The video, titled 'I Explored 2000 Year Old Ancient Temples,' has garnered over 60 million views since its release on May 10. Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) claims that the video, which features MrBeast exploring restricted areas of the Calakmul and Chichén Itzá sites, violated the terms of a government-issued filming permit. While INAH confirmed that permission had been granted for filming, it stated that the permit did not allow for any commercial or promotional content — including the chocolate product MrBeast branded in the video as a 'Mayan dessert.' In an official statement, INAH alleged that the video included 'false assertions,' such as scenes showing MrBeast descending into a pyramid via helicopter and handling a pre-Hispanic artifact. These segments, according to the agency, were fabricated or edited in post-production to dramatize the experience. 'All of these are false assertions that obey the theatricality of the YouTuber in question,' the INAH said in its statement. Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Mexico's Secretary of Culture, condemned the use of archaeological heritage for marketing purposes, saying such content distorts the cultural and historical value of these sites. 'We disapprove of any commercial pursuit that distorts the value of archaeological sites, which are a legacy of our indigenous cultures and the pride of our nation,' she said. The video was produced by Full Circle Media, and Mexican authorities have confirmed that potential sanctions against the company are under review. President Claudia Sheinbaum has also ordered a formal investigation into the issuance and potential misuse of the filming permit. A representative for MrBeast told the BBC that no promotional material was filmed on archaeological grounds and defended the video's content, stating it was 'meant to highlight these treasured Mayan sites' and that it is 'unfortunate this has turned into a political issue.' As of now, MrBeast, who remains the most-followed individual creator on YouTube with over 395 million subscribers, has not issued a public statement regarding the controversy.
