Dylan Mulvaney is speaking out about the backlash that followed her sponsored Instagram post with Bud Light. In the June 29 TikTok video, the influencer called out Bud Light’s lack of support for herself and the trans community. She also detailed the personal attacks she experienced after her April 1 Instagram collaboration with the beer brand, which led to a conservative boycott and a significant drop in Bud Light sales.
“What transpired from that video was more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined,” she says in the video. “I have been scared to leave my house, and I have been ridiculed in public, I have been followed.”
After the initial conservative anti-trans backlash, Bud Light attempted to appeal to conservative consumers with a half-hearted statement despite the harassment Mulvaney faced. Anheuser-Busch went on to promise financial assistance to its independent wholesalers following months of falling sales.
Mulvaney also says that even while dealing with intense loneliness, stalking, and death threats, Bud Light failed to reach out to her once. “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 also notes that Bud Light’s lack of support does not only impact her personally, but has echoed throughout the LGBTQ+ community. “The hate doesn’t end with me,” she says. “It has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community. To turn a blind eye and pretend everything is okay, it just isn’t an option right now.”
