Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney says she felt abandoned by Bud Light after her advertising deal with the beer brand sparked a huge backlash by US conservatives.
In a video posted on social media on Thursday, the 26-year-old said she experienced “more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined” over her partnership with the beer giant back in April.
She also said that the response had left her “scared to leave the house” for months.
It comes after a backlash to her deal with Bud Light, which resulted in a conservative-led boycott of the beer brand – one of the most popular in the US.
Others filmed themselves shooting cans of Bud Light following Mulvaney’s brand deal.
On Thursday, the influencer accused Bud Light, which is owned by the drinks conglomerate, Anheuser-Busch, of not standing by her.
She said: “I should have made this video months ago, but I didn’t, and I was scared, scared of more backlash, and I felt personally guilty for what transpired.
“I patiently waited for things to get better, but they haven’t really, and I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did.
“For months now, I’ve been scared to leave my house.
“I have been ridiculed in public. I’ve been followed and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
She also appeared to criticise the company for not doing enough to support her.
“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 hateful as they want,” Mulvaney said, without naming Bud Light.
The row started in April when Mulvaney cracked open a Bud Light in an Instagram video on April 1 as part of a promotional contest for the beer brand.
The influencer also showed off a can emblazoned with her face that Bud Light sent to her – one of many corporate freebies she gets and shares with her millions of followers.
Read more:
Eddie Izzard clears up her pronouns
Transgender women banned from competitive female cycling
But the videos sparked a backlash from US conservatives, with calls for boycotts of the beer and Anheuser-Busch.
In the month following the advertisement, Bud Light’s sales fell between 11 and 26%, while in May the brand lost its decades-long title as America’s number one selling beer.
American singer, Kid Rock, also shared a video of himself firing an automatic rifle at cans of the beer before shouting: “F**k Bud Light.”
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Two marketing executives at Anheuser-Busch took a leave of absence following the backlash, while the company faced criticism from supporters of Mulvaney for not standing up to what they described as “transphobic hate”.
The Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest advocacy group for LGBTQ+ rights, also suspended its benchmark equality and inclusion rating for the brewing giant.
In April, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth attempted to move past the row, and said the company “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer”.
Following the release of Mulvaney’s video on Thursday, parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev said it remained “committed” to its partnerships with organisations 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,” a spokesperson added.
