Dylan Mulvaney breaks silence on Bud Light uproar

Dylan Mulvaney, the transgender influencer whose Bud Light-themed Instagram post triggered a controversy that sent the beer brand's sales reeling, broke weeks of silence Thursday evening. In an Instagram post, she forgave her enemies and acknowledged “there’s clearly no way of winning over everyone.”

The post was published around the same time that beleaguered Bud Light separately aired its first new TV commercial since the controversy began nearly a month ago.

Mulvaney, speaking in an Instagram video, did not make specific references to Bud Light. She said was hurt by critics' “need to dehumanize” but said, “I’ve always tried to love everyone, even the people that make it really, really hard.”

Mulvaney, who has 13 million followers between Instagram and TikTok, had not made any posts since April 7.

Read more: Bud Light sales drop induces ‘panic’

Bud Light declined to comment on her new post. 

Mulvaney in an April 1 Instagram post shared a photo of a custom Bud Light can with her face on it while promoting the brand’s March Madness contest.

The post drew a vitriolic response from some conservatives including musician Kid Rock, who fired at cases of Bud Light with an automatic weapon. A boycott appears to have contributed to a rapid sales decline, with Bud Light volume falling by 21% in the week ended April 15, according to Bump Williams Consulting figures cited by Beer Marketer’s Insights.

Bud Light’s sales woes caused friction with its distributors and “panic” at the company, sources said. Two brand leaders at parent Anheuser-Busch InBev—Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light marketing VP; and Daniel Blake, group VP of marketing for mainstream brands—have taken a leave of absence. Todd Allen, who had been global marketing VP for Budweiser, has taken over Heinerscheid’s role.

Read more: Bud Light's marketing leadership shakeup

As it has sought to soothe distributors and retailers, Bud Light has avoided making any statements on transgender rights as it seemingly tries to distance itself from an issue that has become a cultural hot button. The matter shows how much has changed in American politics in recent years, if not months, as more brands get pulled into the dialogue. On April 14, Anheuser-Busch InBev issued a letter in which U.S. CEO Brendan Whitworth said the company “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people.”

Back in 2016, Bud Light made a series of socially progressive ads including one supporting transgender rights that did not draw it into controversy, illustrating a deepening cultural divide since then.

The Bud Light ad that aired Thursday came during the opening round of the NFL Draft on ESPN, an event in which the brand maintained an otherwise muted presence, despite its pricey NFL sponsorship. Bud Light did not post a single tweet during the event, even as its competitor, Miller Lite—which does not hold a league-wide NFL sponsorship—did.

Bud Light's new ad is the latest installment in its “Easy to Enjoy” campaign that began early this year from agency Anomaly. The ads are meant to portray a new sense of confidence and magnetism from the brand and break away from a long reliance on humor.

Set to the song “Chicken Fried” by the Zac Brown Band, the spot is “focused on encouraging 21+ fans and consumers to enjoy simple moments of togetherness with friends,” an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said.