Dylan Mulvaney has continued to promote brands on her social media accounts, as she faces an ongoing backlash over her collaboration with Bud Light.
The transgender influencer, 26, has been at the center of a storm over the past two months, after she in a video posted to Instagram on April 1 said that the beer brand had sent her a can with her face on it to commemorate 365 days of her living as a woman.
Mulvaney's partnership with the brand drew condemnation from a number of conservative figures, including Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, with many issuing calls for a boycott of Bud Light. It has also led to the overt scrutiny of an increasing number of companies and over their pro-LGBTQ+ marketing initiatives.
The furor reflects anti-transgender sentiment that has been growing across the United States, with bills targeting the rights of transgender people being embraced by Republican governors and statehouses across the country.
Amid the backlash, Mulvaney slowed down the frequency of her social media posts, particularly those featuring brand partnerships. However, the California native last week shared a paid partnership ad on Instagram touting a product from K18 Hair—a brand she has worked with in the past.
On Thursday, Mulvaney took to her Instagram Story to show off a pink embossed spiral curve bag by designer brand Mugler, ahead of stepping out in Los Angeles to attend the opening night of the stage show A Transparent Musical. While Mulvaney tagged Mugler in the post, it was not specified whether she had been paid to promote the accessory.
Newsweek has contacted representatives of Mugler via email for comment.
Mulvaney has earned more than $1 million through promoting brands on social media, according to the New York Post. These companies cover everything from fashion and skincare to grocery shopping.
However, it is her partnership with Bud Light in April that has captured headlines, with the collaboration leading to boycotts, derision and furor among conservatives.
At the time, a spokesperson for Bud Light's owner, Anheuser-Busch, told Newsweek that the "commemorative" can was typical of its work with "hundreds of influencers" across its brands "as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics."
The spokesperson added that the commemorative can "was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public."
Following the criticism and reports of plummeting sales, some Bud Light executives took a leave of absence, including marketing head Alissa Heinerscheid and Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for Anheuser-Busch's mainstream brands.
In recent weeks, a number of social media users have shared photos and videos of Bud Light on store shelves and at venues in a bid to illustrate the purported success of their boycott of the beer brand.
Mulvaney broke her silence in a video shared on Instagram on April 28. "What I'm struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel," she told her followers. "I don't think that's right. You know, dehumanization has never fixed anything in history ever."
"I'm embarrassed to even tell you this, but I was nervous that you were going to start believing those things that they were saying about me, since it is so loud," she added. "But I'm just gonna go ahead and trust that the people who know me and my heart won't listen to that noise."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
