TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — James Donaldson, widely known as the philanthropic YouTuber MrBeast, is grappling with a legal setback after losing a lawsuit against a Florida business owner, resulting in an order to cease selling candy under the name “DEEZ NUTS.”
The controversy revolves around MrBeast’s food company, Feastables, which markets a chocolate peanut candy under the moniker DEEZ NUTS. According to reports from NBC affiliate WTLV, a Jacksonville resident, Brian Ditore, initiated legal action against Feastables and Donaldson, asserting that the candy’s name bore a striking resemblance to his gourmet peanut business, Dee’s Nuts.
Ditore, who named his company after his grandmother, Dee, holds the copyright for Dee’s Nuts. In the lawsuit, he argued that Donaldson’s nearly identical product name was diverting search engine traffic that would otherwise have been directed to his business.
Alleging that the use of DEEZ NUTS caused “confusion, mistake, or deception” and amounted to copyright infringement, Ditore’s legal team filed an injunction last week seeking to prohibit Donaldson from continuing to use the contested name.
In a recent development, a U.S. District Court judge sided with Ditore, issuing an order for Donaldson to cease using the name DEEZ NUTS or any similar iteration. Despite the court ruling, the candy was still available for purchase with its original name on the Feastables website as of Thursday.
This legal entanglement adds a new layer to MrBeast’s public image, known more for his philanthropy and viral stunts than legal disputes. As the legal proceedings unfold, it remains to be seen how this episode will impact MrBeast’s ventures and whether any adjustments will be made to his candy branding following the court’s directive.
