Thea Booysen: From South African Gamer to MrBeast’s Wife

When you scroll through a typical TikTok feed you might spot a quick clip of a bright‑smiling woman in a headset, the words "TheaBeasty" flashing across the screen. That’s Thea Booysen – a South‑African gamer‑turned‑author who, just a few months ago, swapped her streaming chair for a white‑sand aisle on Richard Branson’s private Necker Island.

Thea was born around 1998 in the coastal town of Cape Town and grew up with a joystick in one hand and a stack of books in the other. After finishing high school she headed to Stellenbosch University, where she pulled an impressive double‑major: a Bachelor of Laws and an Honours degree in Psychology. Not one to stop there, she later earned a master’s in Human Cognitive Neuropsychology from the University of Edinburgh in 2024.

Gaming, however, never left her side. In 2016 she launched a Twitch channel under the moniker “TheaBeasty,” streaming everything from League of Legends to indie horror titles. Her craft and charisma landed her a co‑ownership role at the South African esports organization Nixuh, where she also works as a commentator and mentor for up‑and‑coming talent.

Beyond the screen, Thea is a published author. In 2022 she released her debut young‑adult fantasy, The Marked Children, a story she’d been drafting since high school. The book earned modest praise for its world‑building and earned her a small but dedicated literary following.

She first crossed paths with Jimmy Donaldson – better known as MrBeast – in 2022. A mutual friend invited both of them to a dinner in Cape Town, and the two instantly clicked over their shared love of surprise philanthropy and, of course, video games. Their budding romance made its first public splash at the Kids’ Choice Awards in April 2022, where they were spotted holding hands on the orange carpet.

Fast‑forward to Christmas Day 2024: Thea says Jimmy proposed at home, surrounded by family, while a tiny snow‑globe set the scene. The surprise ring – a simple gold band – sparked a wave of congratulations across Instagram and Twitter.

After a year‑and‑a‑half of planning, the couple sealed the deal in July 2026. The wedding took place on Necker Island, the 74‑acre Caribbean retreat owned by Sir Richard Branson. About seventy guests – close friends, a handful of family members and a few select creators – gathered for a week‑long celebration that mixed beach bonfires, a private concert and, of course, a massive giveaway that MrBeast is famous for.

Since the vows, Thea has kept a relatively low public profile, popping up now and then on Twitch for charity streams and occasionally sharing behind‑the‑scenes snapshots of island life on Instagram. She remains an active voice in the gaming community, advocating for more women in esports and using her psychology background to discuss mental‑health topics with her audience.

Whether you know her from her gaming chops, her novel, or her new title as Mrs. Donaldson, Thea Booysen continues to chart a path that feels both uniquely hers and delightfully entwined with MrBeast’s larger‑than‑life projects.