Famed YouTuber MrBeast is battling back claims he fabricated a story about receiving an invite to join the Titan sub’s ill-fated voyage earlier this month – aired in a post to Twitter just a few days ago.
In the days since, several have called his account into question, citing alleged inconsistencies in the post – particularly, a text said to be sent from an unnamed OceanGate staffer.
Cropped to not show its sender, the message was supposedly sent to the 25-year-old content creator this month, and asked if he would be willing to board the vessel as a last minute addition.
A response, however, was not included – but in an accompanying caption, the world’s most popular YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, claimed to turn it down.
Almost immediately, Twitter users aired their suspicions – questioning why the message box was blue instead of clear, as the OceanGate worker was said to be its sender. Others cited the conspicuous crop job – which appeared hastily done.
‘Wait… Blue bubble?’ remarked one user – the first of many to point out how on iPhones, texts received from other Apple users are generally clear.
‘How did you manage to receive a blue message on iMessage?’ wrote another, as speculation swirled as to the message’s legitimacy.
‘It is weird how it’s cropped so bad,’ another commented – whereas a more flippant detractor sniped: ‘why is the text reciept[sic] blue[?] why are you making this up[?]’
The flood of posts persisted for hours, eventually eliciting a response out of Donaldson – one that claimed the grab came from a screenshot that his friend sent him, after the YouTuber forwarded the alleged correspondence.
‘My friend sent me the screenshot of when he invited me,’ The North Carolina native – who is worth an estimated $500million – wrote: ‘Didn’t think to scroll up and screenshot our old texts myself.’
Even after the assertion, though, many Twitter users remained unconvinced.
Several urged Donaldson – a self-proclaimed philanthropist – to scroll through the messages himself to provide proof. In the days since, the internet star has yet to oblige.
DailyMail.com has reached out for comment.
The scrutiny comes as several continue to come forward claiming they were also asked to board the doomed submersible by OceanGate – particularly the Washington firm’s now-late co-founder, CEO Stockton Rush.
Meanwhile, the late mogul, one of five to die in the now famous wreck, is also facing increasing criticism even after his death – for allegedly taking cost cutting measures to make his $250,000-a-seat venture more lucrative.
A recent bombshell report from Travel Weekly cast a light on these claims, revealing Rush bragged about using expired carbon fiber in the sub’s unprecedented design – which was not approved by any sanctioning body.
Screengrabs from prospective passengers have also revealed how the outspoken investor offered discount tickets for the once-a-year mission as the voyage approached – but was, at least twice, turned down.
Included in that class was Las Vegas financier Jay Bloom, who recently published text messages on Facebook between himself and Rush show how he turned down cost-cut tickets for him and his son Sean after fearing they wouldn’t survive the trip.
Speaking to NewsNation, Bloom said that concerns had been raised after Mr Rush flew to Las Vegas to convince him aboard an ‘experimental plane’.
Bloom said: ‘It was very concerning. The major red flag for my son was when Stockton came to see me in Las Vegas in March.
‘He said he was flying in in a two seater experimental plane that he built so he was coming to Las Vegas on an experimental plane that he built to take me on an experimental sub that he built to take me to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean.’
Bloom continued: ‘It’s kind of surreal. Every time I see a picture of the people who lost their lives on this tragic event.
‘I look at the picture of the father and son who replaced my son and myself and think how easily but for the grace of God that could have been our picture on the news.
‘When Stockton first approached me with the idea it sounded very sexy, very exciting, a real bucket list kind of item.
‘My son is a big fan of the Titanic, so I thought it would be great for us to do something together. The allure of the proposition is so compelling.
‘My son talked to his friend and they voiced concerns, about the vessel, the marine life, some of the materials that were used in the construction.’
Another to turn down Rush’s invitations was British Actor Ross Kemp, who refused a seat for the Titan’s annual Titanic expedition in 2022.
The former EastEnders star, 58, initially entertained Rush’s offer, looking to film a documentary marking the Titanic voyage’s 110th anniversary.
However, the production company behind the project reportedly advised against it, the Guardian reported – as the firm cited safety concerns on the operation, which only began making the 12,000 foot dive down to the Titanic the year before.
Several have since chided the company for allegedly not taking the necessary steps to vet how the deep pressure at such depths were affecting the hull’s carbon-fiber body – an unproven, innovative design that is now coming into question.
‘I am relieved that Ross did not participate but I am obviously reassured by the professionalism of those companies we were working with that they didn’t suggest that he go on the submarine,’ Kemp’s agent, Jonathan Shalit, told PA Media of their desicion to do away with Rush’s invite.
Sadly, the five people aboard the submersible’s final voyage were not so lucky.
On Thursday, debris from the sub – which imploded near the bottom of the Atlantic as it tried to reach the wreckage – was hauled ashore. A retrieval of of the five victims’ bodies, experts say, is virtually impossible.
An investigation into what caused the implosion is currently underway. DailyMail.com has reached out to OceanGate for comment.
