TLDR: YouTuber MrBeast faced significant backlash after sharing an AI-generated ‘family photo’ on X (formerly Twitter), which many critics dubbed the ‘Worst Tweet of All Time.’ The image, sent by his fiancée Thea Booysen, depicted them with two AI children, sparking a debate about generative AI content and MrBeast’s past controversies.
YouTube megastar James Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, has once again found himself at the center of a viral storm, this time over an AI-generated ‘family photo’ he posted on X on Saturday, July 26, 2025. The image, which MrBeast stated was sent to him by his fiancée, gaming streamer Thea Booysen, depicted the couple with two blurry, AI-created children, leading to immediate and widespread condemnation online. Many users quickly labeled it the ‘Worst Tweet of All Time.’
The post, which rapidly garnered over 15.7 million views, featured MrBeast’s caption: ‘My fiancé sent me this AI generated image of us with two kids. I can’t quite put my finger on it but something tells me she wants something.’ Later, Booysen herself replied with a similar image featuring three AI children, prompting MrBeast to quip, ‘WHY DO YOU KEEP ADDING MORE.’
The backlash stems from a confluence of factors. Both MrBeast and generative AI are currently controversial subjects. Critics have accused MrBeast in the past of exploiting unhoused and disabled individuals for views, and more recently, a class-action lawsuit filed in September 2024 alleged that contestants in his ‘Beast Games’ were not paid as promised and experienced mistreatment. The addition of generative AI, which some view as a ‘content theft machine’ due to its reliance on existing data, intensified the negative reaction. The combination of MrBeast’s controversial history and the contentious nature of AI-generated content fueled accusations of exploitation, particularly concerning the idea of ‘new generations of beasts dreamed up by what some call a content theft machine.’
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This incident follows a previous controversy in June 2025, when MrBeast pulled an AI tool for creating YouTube video thumbnails from his ViewStats Pro service after a similar backlash from artists concerned about the impact on their livelihoods. At that time, MrBeast expressed sadness over upsetting the YouTube community and replaced the AI tool with a feature directing users to real thumbnail artists’ portfolios, stating he aimed to ‘turn this negative situation into something positive that helps artists generate more income doing what they love.’ However, the recent AI family photo suggests that the debate surrounding AI’s role in content creation, especially when associated with high-profile figures like MrBeast, remains highly charged.
