MrBeast is officially married, bringing new attention to Thea Booysen, the South African gamer, author and academic who has built a career far beyond her relationship with the world-famous YouTube creator.
Booysen, 28, married Jimmy Donaldson during a weeklong celebration on Richard Branson’s Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. Approximately 70 relatives and close friends joined the couple for the private event, which began July 14.
The newlyweds had repeatedly said they wanted a wedding centered on the people closest to them rather than the large-scale spectacle associated with MrBeast’s videos.
Their island celebration included snorkeling, kitesurfing, animal encounters and an intimate ceremony officiated by a family friend.
The Private Island Wedding Lasted a Full Week
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Donaldson and Booysen exchanged vows on Necker Island after several days of activities with their guests. The 74-acre private resort is owned by Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and is home to animals including lemurs and flamingos, which guests were able to feed during the celebration.
Booysen wore a custom Nicole + Felicia Couture gown, while Donaldson chose a Ralph Lauren tuxedo. Their first dance was set to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” according to People. The reception menu included sushi, Wagyu beef and fish, followed by carrot cake, Booysen’s preferred flavor. After dancing to a live band, the group returned to the island’s main house for an after-party built around card and board games.
“This is cliché, but it was heaven,” Booysen said. She explained that the couple’s demanding schedules rarely allow them to gather their friends and relatives in one place, leading them to consider making a weeklong group vacation an annual tradition.
Booysen Built a Career in Gaming and Esports
Booysen is known online as TheaBeasty. She began streaming card-based video games on Twitch and YouTube in 2016 and later expanded into esports commentary.
She is also a co-owner of Nixuh, a South African esports organization. Her work has included gaming broadcasts, online videos and discussions about subjects including technology, psychology and internet culture. Although the couple occasionally appears together online, she has continued producing content under her own name and gaming identity.
She Studied Law, Psychology and Neuropsychology
Booysen graduated from Stellenbosch University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in law and an honors degree in psychology. She later attended the University of Edinburgh, completing a master’s degree in human cognitive neuropsychology in November 2024.
Donaldson has said her enthusiasm for learning was one of the qualities that connected them. Booysen’s postgraduate field covers areas including memory, visual perception, language, decision-making and the relationship between brain function and behavior.
She is also the author of The Marked Children, a young-adult novel published in 2022. Booysen began writing the book in high school and continued working on it through her undergraduate studies, eventually completing the project after approximately seven years.
She Met MrBeast During a Delayed South Africa Trip
Booysen met Donaldson by chance in South Africa in 2022. He had traveled there before a planned Antarctica project, but disruptions to the trip left him in the country longer than expected.
A mutual friend invited Booysen to join Donaldson for dinner. She later recalled that they discussed neuroscience, writing and their shared interest in learning, challenging her expectation that a major YouTube personality might be more focused on his public persona.
Donaldson contacted her after returning to the United States and later flew back to South Africa for a brief visit. They began dating long-distance before eventually moving in together in 2024. He proposed on Christmas Day that year while their families were present. Booysen said they had approached the relationship with marriage in mind from the beginning and expected married life to continue with their home, dogs, cats and “next adventure.”