TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney has shown a "carefree" side of herself after months of being at the center of a national backlash.
The transgender influencer was chosen to partner with Bud Light for some sponsored posts. The beer brand also sent her a commemorative personalized beer can with her face on it to mark the one-year anniversary of her transition to womanhood.
The partnership drew calls for a boycott, primarily from conservative circles. The boycott appears to still be affecting the brand's sales.
Mulvaney previously opened up on threats she received over the collaboration and criticized Bud Light for not supporting her more during the furor.
However, in a recent TikTok post, a more "carefree" side of Mulvaney was on show as she filmed a funny video with fellow influencer Chris Olsen.
In the 90-second video, Mulvaney revealed she has been wearing a blonde wig recently and encouraged Olsen to remove it from her head. Olsen then wore the wig, which sent Mulvaney into hysterics especially when he described himself as "a blond Dora [the Explorer]," the popular cartoon character.
Fans rushed to the comments to compliment Mulvaney, with one saying it was nice to see the influencer happy again amid all the drama.
"Loving the fun, carefree content. So good to see you having so much fun," commented the fan, to which Mulvaney replied: "I feel more like myself thanks for noticing!"
@dylanmulvaney I think i need to dye it
♬ original sound - Dylan Mulvaney
In a video posted to Instagram on Thursday June 29, the TikToker spoke at length about her partnership with Bud Light for the first time.
"I took a brand deal with a company I loved and I posted a sponsored video to my page and it must have been a slow news week because the way that this ad got blown up, you would have thought I was on a billboard or on a TV commercial, or something major. But no, it was just an Instagram video," Mulvaney said.
She then slammed Bud Light for not giving her more support in the aftermath of the boycott campaign.
"I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me but they never did and for months now I've been scared to leave my house...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," Mulvaney added.
The company that owns Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch, said it stood by its relationship with the LGBTQ+ community.
"As we've said, we remain 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," a company spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement.
"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."
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
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
