Transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney said Bud Light failed to support her or even reach out after she became the focus of conservative backlash stemming from a video she posted featuring a personalized can sent to her by the company.
“For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse, in my opinion, than not hiring a trans person at all,” Mulvaney said in a video on Thursday. “It gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want.”
The 26-year-old, who has 10.6 million followers on TikTok, detailed her experience working with Bud Light, a company she said she loved. Mulvaney said she filmed one Instagram video on April 1 with a customized Bud Light can that had her face on it, which she said the company sent her.
“I’m bringing it up because what transpired from that video was more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined,” Mulvaney said.
She said she took time to respond to the backlash because she was waiting for the anger to die down and for the brand to reach out to her — two things that haven’t happened, according to the social media star.
“I should have made this video months ago, but I didn’t and I was scared and I was scared of more backlash,” Mulvaney said. “I patiently waited for things to get better, but surprise, they haven’t really. And I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did.”
Mulvaney, who grew her social media presence with her “Days of Girlhood” series, said the hate she’s received because of the collaboration has made her feel personally guilty for what happened and fearful for her safety.
“For months now, I’ve been scared to leave my house, I have been ridiculed in public, I’ve been followed,” the influencer said. “I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
She also noted that the online attacks directed at her have reverberated throughout the trans community.
“The hate doesn’t end with me. It has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community,” Mulvaney said. “To turn a blind eye and pretend everything is okay, it just isn’t an option right now.”
Mulvaney lamented that LGBTQ+ rights and support are still considered controversial.
“There should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us,” she said. “Caring about the LGBTQ+ community requires a lot more than just a donation somewhere during Pride Month.”
A spokesperson for Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch told CBS News in a statement, “We remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best – brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.”
Anheuser-Busch did not address whether or not it or Bud Light had reached out to Mulvaney since the controversy began.
In a “CBS Mornings” interview on Wednesday, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth avoided answering whether he would send the personalized can to Mulvaney again if he had the chance to do things over again. He said the company is sending financial assistance to distributors and wholesalers affected by the dip in sales since Mulvaney’s video.
Whitworth also said that the impact on the company’s employees is what “weighs most on me.”
Bud Light has seen a decline in sales since collaborating with Mulvaney, recently losing its long-held spot as the best-selling beer in the U.S.
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