Dylan Mulvaney blasts Bud Light as trans influencer claims brand did not stand by her amid controversy
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Dylan Mulvaney finally breaks her silence on the $20 billion Bud Light fiasco and criticized the brand for giving " customers permission to be as transphobic and as hateful as they want" by never reaching out to the trans influencer who was slammed amid the controversial tie-up.
Mulvaney shared an emotional video on Instagram where she tearfully reveals to her 1.8 million followers that she has "felt a loneliness that I wouldn't wish on anyone" as she has been "ridiculed in public." Criticizing the Belgian beer giant, the 26-year-old social media star said, "For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all."
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'I’ve been scared to leave my house'
Mulvaney's video comes a day after Brendan Whitworth, Anheuser-Busch CEO denied commenting on whether the brand would ever collaborate with Mulvaney again. Amid the nation's top-selling brand's backlash, the company has suffered a $20 billion hit, reported New York Post.
The TikTok personality said that she has received "more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined. I’ve been scared to leave my house," and added, "Supporting trans people shouldn’t be political. There should be nothing divisive or controversial about working with us."
'I love beer and I always have'
Talking about the company sending her a Bud Light tall boy can with her image and not making any effort to reach out to her after, Mulvaney said, "I was scared of more backlash, and I felt personally guilty for what transpired."
"I patiently waited for things to get better…and I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did," she added. The influencer said she plans to put the can in a "museum behind bulletproof glass."
"One thing I will not tolerate people saying about me is that I don’t like beer because I love beer and I always have," she said in the clip that begins with Mulvaney appearing to drink a glass of beer.
Bud Light witnessed their steepest drop in sales
Since the controversy broke, Anheuser-Busch tried distancing itself from Mulvaney posts, which also impacted its sister brands including Michelob Ultra and Budweiser. After Bud Light was criticized for the tie-up with the trans influencer, the brand had its steepest drop in their sales.
In the initial phase of the controversy, Anheuser-Busch did not disavow the collaboration with Mulvaney as a spokesperson explained that this promotional partnership was one of many that were meant to "authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points."