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Dylan Mulvaney called out Bud Light for not standing by her as she faced much backlash when her April ad with the beer brand went viral. The TikTok star, 26, released a video to share her side of the story and stress how important it is to continue to stand up for trans people, even in the face of adversity, on Thursday, June 29. She said she was shocked at how much attention the ad received, and she was “scared” of all the backlash, including “bullying and transphobia” as a result.
@dylanmulvaney Trans people like beer too. 🏳️⚧️🍻
At the start of the clip, Dylan opened up about the start of her partnership and joked that it must have been released during “a slow news week,” as it quickly became a sensation. Even some celebrities, commentators, and trolls called out the company for partnering with her and called to boycott Bud Light. “What transpired from that video was more bullying and transphobia than I could’ve ever imagined. I should’ve made this video months ago, but I didn’t,” she said.
Dylan described her feelings amid all the backlash and said she wanted to respond sooner but was afraid. “I was scared of more backlash, and I felt personally guilty for what transpired. So I patiently waited for things to get better,” she said. “For months now, I’ve been scared to leave my house. I’ve been ridiculed in public. I’ve been followed.”
While she didn’t name Bud Light, Dylan did say that she didn’t receive any message of support from the company after the backlash. “I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did,” she said. “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, because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and as hateful as they want.”
Toward the end of the clip, Dylan called on her followers to do all they can to support trans people and encouraged them to donate to the Transgender Law Center if they can. “Babe, supporting trans people shouldn’t be political. 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.”
After Dylan’s response was released, a spokesperson for Anheuser Busch (the company that owns Bud Light) released a statement to The Daily Beast. They said that the company is “committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community.” They didn’t mention the TikToker. “The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority,” the spokesperson said. “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.”
Dylan had first opened up about the backlash shortly after the ad dropped in an April interview on the Onward With Rosie O’Donnell podcast. “The reason I think I’m an easy target is because I’m still new to this,” she said. “I think going after a trans woman who has been doing this for 20 years is a lot more difficult. Maybe they think there’s some sort of chance with me that they can—but I mean, what is their goal?”
As some people called for boycotts, Anheuser Busch CEO Brendon Whitworth also released a statement where he said that division wasn’t the company’s plan. “We never intended to be a part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer,” he said. “Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.”