In a Thursday TikTok video, the transgender influencer told her 10.7 million followers that she had “something uncomfy sitting on [her] chest” about the public scrutiny that she deemed “old news.”
“I’m bringing it up because what transpired from that [sponsored] video was more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined,” she said. “I should have made this video months ago, but I didn’t and I was scared of more backlash and I felt personally guilty for what transpired.”
Mulvaney, a comedian and musical theater actor based in Hollywood, had been sharing her gender-transition journey over the last year via the episodic TikTok series “Days of Girlhood.” To celebrate her 365th day of the series in April, Bud Light sent Mulvaney a can with her face on it.
When Mulvaney shared a video announcing the collaboration and pitching a Bud Light contest, the campaign became a target of conservative backlash, with many disparaging the TikToker’s trans identity.
Mulvaney had hoped the situation would cool down so she could speak out, but things never got better. She also noted in Thursday’s video that she was expecting Bud Light — though she never specifically names the brand in the video — to reach out to her personally to offer support, but claimed “they never did.”
She said she’s been scared to leave her house, ridiculed in public, “followed” and has felt a deep sense of loneliness.
“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,” she said. “It gives customers the permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want. And the hate doesn’t end with me. It has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community.”
Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, was initially quick to defend its partnership with Mulvaney. In a statement sent to The Times in April, the company said it “works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics.”
“From time to time we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney,” the statement continued. “This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”
But much has changed for the company since then, as sales slumped amid the outcry. After a two-decade run as the nation’s best-selling beer, Bud Light fell to second place earlier this month, according to a report. The New York Times also reported that Bud Light sales volume over a four-week period ending in mid-June was down an average of 29% from a year earlier.
Mulvaney’s Thursday comments come after Anheuser-Busch U.S. chief executive Brendan Whitworth appeared to distance the company from the influencer as he discussed plans to continue supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
“Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998, so that’s 25 years and as we’ve said from the beginning, we’ll continue to support the communities and organizations that we’ve supported for decades,” Whitworth said Wednesday during an appearance on “CBS Mornings.”
He did not directly answer questions from the morning show hosts as to whether the company viewed its sponsorship with Mulvaney as a mistake.
“I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive, and Bud Light really does not belong there. Bud Light should be about bringing people together,” Whitworth said.
For Mulvaney, statements like that are insufficient.
“Supporting trans people, it shouldn’t be political,” she continued in her latest video. “There should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us and I know it’s possible, because I’ve worked with some fantastic companies who care. But caring about the LGBTQ+ community requires a lot more than just a donation somewhere during Pride month.”
In a statement to The Times Friday that never mentioned Mulvaney, Anheuser-Busch said it 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.”
“The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority,” the statement continued. “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.”
Times staff writer Jonah Valdez contributed to this report.