Nigeria: Mr Beast marries South African creator Thea Booysen
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
Jimmy Donaldson, known to 300 million+ followers as MrBeast, married South African gamer, author and content creator Thea Booysen in a private ceremony on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands on
The couple announced the news with a simple, heartfelt post from MrBeast: “I found MrsBeast.” The photos that followed showed a tropical, low-key celebration with about 70 close friends and family over a week-long gathering.
After four years together, the marriage marks a new chapter for one of social media’s most talked-about couples
MrBeast and Booysen first met in 2022 when Donaldson was visiting South Africa. They were introduced through mutual friends at a dinner in Johannesburg.
Despite living on opposite sides of the world, they bonded immediately over shared interests: books, learning, and long, intellectual conversations.
At the time, Booysen was still completing her postgraduate studies. Their relationship started long-distance, with frequent calls and visits while she finished her degree. Once she graduated, Booysen relocated to the United States to be with Donaldson.
In late 2024, MrBeast proposed. He kept the details private, but the engagement announcement delighted fans across YouTube, TikTok, and X. From the beginning, the couple chose to keep most of their relationship out of the spotlight, sharing only selected moments rather than turning their romance into content
For the wedding, the couple chose Necker Island, Richard Branson’s exclusive private island in the BVI. It’s known for white sand beaches, turquoise water, and total privacy — fitting for two people used to living their lives online.
The celebration lasted a week and was attended by close family and a small circle of friends. There were no big brand sponsorships, no livestream, and no viral challenge attached. Just vows, dinner, and time together.
MrBeast posted a few photos after the ceremony, including one of the couple on the beach and another with the caption “I found MrsBeast.” Booysen shared her own set of images to Instagram, smiling in a simple wedding dress with the ocean behind her.
Fans immediately flooded the comments with congratulations, with South Africans especially proud to see one of their own marry the world’s most-watched YouTuber.
While many now know her as “MrsBeast,” Thea Booysen had already built a substantial career before meeting Donaldson.
Online, she goes by TheaBeasty. The 28-year-old is a Twitch and YouTube streamer known for strategy games, commentary, and a calm, thoughtful style that set her apart in the gaming space. She’s also an esports commentator and co-owner of Nixuh, a South African esports organization focused on growing competitive gaming locally.
Academically, her resume is just as impressive. Booysen earned a law degree and an honours degree in psychology from Stellenbosch University. She then completed a master’s degree in human cognitive neuropsychology at the University of Edinburgh.
She’s also a published author. In 2022 she released _The Marked Children_, a young adult fantasy novel that drew on her love of storytelling and world-building.
That mix — gamer, academic, entrepreneur, and writer — is part of why fans were so intrigued by her relationship with MrBeast. She isn’t just “the YouTuber’s girlfriend.” She has her own audience, her own businesses, and her own creative projects.
MrBeast built his brand on massive stunts, giveaways, and philanthropy videos. He runs Feastables, Beast Games, and multiple YouTube channels with billions of views. His work is loud, fast, and designed for scale.
Booysen’s work has been quieter and more niche: strategy streams, esports commentary, academic writing, and fiction. She’s spoken before about loving deep conversations and learning for its own sake.
Friends close to the couple say that’s exactly what drew them together. The dinners, the books, the curiosity. Even while Donaldson was filming in one country and Booysen was writing exams in another, they made it work.
Since moving to the US, Booysen has continued streaming and working on Nixuh, while also supporting MrBeast’s projects behind the scenes. She’s appeared in a handful of his videos, but has largely stayed out of the main Beast content machine.
From Stellenbosch to Necker Island,” one comment read. “We love to see it.” Others pointed out that Booysen is one of the few South African women to break into international gaming and esports at that level, and now she’s doing it while married to the biggest creator on the planet.
For many young South Africans who follow gaming and content creation, Booysen represents what’s possible — building a career from home, studying hard, and staying authentic.
honeymoon plans, and both are expected back at work soon. MrBeast is in the middle of expanding his media and food businesses globally. Booysen has hinted at new streaming projects and a second book in the works.
In an era where celebrity weddings are often turned into content, their choice to keep it small and private stood out. No televised special. No 10-part vlog. Just “I found MrsBeast” and a beach in the Caribbean.
As MrBeast continues to build one of the largest entertainment empires on the internet, Booysen steps into this next chapter not only as his wife, but as a creator, academic and entrepreneur in her own right — with a career that’s already impressive.
