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Thea Booysen, the South African gamer, author and esports entrepreneur, is drawing worldwide attention after marrying YouTube star MrBeast.
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, announced the marriage on Instagram on Tuesday, July 21, sharing wedding photos alongside the caption, "I found MrsBeast ❤️❤️❤️ and it was the best day of my life ❤️❤️❤️." Booysen shared the announcement and changed her Instagram name to Thea Donaldson.
The couple married during an intimate weeklong celebration that began July 14 on Necker Island, Richard Branson's 74-acre private resort in the British Virgin Islands. Approximately 70 relatives and friends attended, with an ordained minister who is also a family friend officiating the ceremony.
The destination celebration combined the wedding with a vacation for the couple's closest friends and relatives. Guests went kitesurfing and snorkeling and helped feed the island's lemurs and flamingos. The couple limited cameras at the event, relying on professional photographers to document the festivities.
"This is cliché, but it was heaven," Booysen told People. "We were so happy, and there was so much love."
Before becoming known as MrBeast's partner, Booysen had already built a career spanning gaming, academia and publishing. Born Dec. 5, 1997, the 28-year-old grew up in South Africa and creates gaming content under the name TheaBeasty on YouTube and Twitch.
Booysen earned a bachelor's degree in law and an honors degree in psychology from Stellenbosch University. Although she holds a law degree, she is not a practicing lawyer. In November 2024, she completed a master's degree in human cognitive neuropsychology at the University of Edinburgh.
She is also associated with the South African esports organization Nixuh and wrote the fantasy novel "The Marked Children," which she published in 2022 after spending approximately seven years working on it.
Booysen and Donaldson met in 2022 while he was visiting South Africa. A mutual friend invited her to dinner with the YouTube creator, and the pair remained in contact afterward before beginning a long-distance relationship.
"I really wanted to meet him in person," she previously said on the "Wide Awake Podcast." "He was super nice, very down to earth, and he started asking me a lot of questions."
Donaldson proposed on Christmas Day 2024 with members of both families present. He reportedly tried to catch Booysen off guard by dropping a large box before presenting her with the actual gift containing her engagement ring.
For the wedding, Booysen wore a custom lace gown by Nicole + Felicia Couture, while Donaldson chose a cream-and-black Ralph Lauren tuxedo. Celebrity wedding planner Marcy Blum organized the celebration.
The reception menu included sushi, Wagyu beef and fish, followed by carrot cake, Booysen's favorite. The newlyweds shared their first dance to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' "Die With a Smile." Guests later returned to the island's main house for card and board games.
Booysen said Donaldson's efforts to make every guest—including members of her large family—feel comfortable made her love him even more. Although the wedding places her in a brighter international spotlight, her work as a gamer, author, entrepreneur and academic has already established an identity beyond her marriage to one of YouTube's biggest creators.
Sources: People wedding exclusive, People's Thea Booysen profile
