Dylan Mulvaney criticizes Bud Light owner AB InBev in new video

Dylan Mulvaney, the trans influencer whose Instagram posts were at the core of a controversy that decimated Bud Light sales, in a new video today criticized parent Anheuser-Busch InBev for failing to come to her defense amid the uproar.

“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 said, while drinking a beer out of a glass with no branding showing. “Because it gives customers permission to be as hateful and transphobic as they want.”

Mulvaney added that “I was waiting for the brand to reach out, but they never did,” not naming Bud Light or Anheuser-Busch InBev by name.

The Instagram post marked the first time Mulvaney has directly addressed the Bud Light controversy. She said she was doing so to call attention to bullying and hate that many trans people face, and to stand up for trans people in advertising. “Supporting trans people shouldn't be political,” she said. “There should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us.”

Mulvaney's April 1 Instagram post showed off a custom can that the company makes for its influencer partners. Mulvaney said she misplaced the can but that it “belongs in a museum preferably under bulletproof glass.”

The can struck a nerve with customers who evidently believed it was part of a can in production. Kid Rock released a video showing him shooting Bud Light cans with an automatic weapon, and a sustained boycott was on. Bud Light dollar sales were down by 28.8% and volume down 31.1% for the week ended June 17, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights, which cited Nielsen figures from Bump Williams Consulting.

“I took a brand deal with a company that I love and I posted a sponsored video on my page,” Mulvaney said, recounting the chain of events. “And it must have been a slow news week because the way that this ad got blown up, you’d 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 experienced “more bullying and transphobia than I’ve ever imagined,” from the event, saying she was scared to leave the house, publicly ridiculed and followed.

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AB InBev did not address Mulvaney specifically but provided a statement that focused on its charitable partnerships including those with LGBTQ+ communities. Company execs have taken pains to say it was “one post, one can” at the center of the controversy. 

“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 said. “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.”

In her video, Mulvaney said that caring about the LGBTQ+ community “requires a lot more than just a donation somewhere during Pride month.” She called for people to donate to the Transgender Law Center, and provided a link in her Instagram bio.

Mulvaney's video will serve to keep the controversy in headlines just as AB InBev is trying to move past it with a new “That’s Who We Are” campaign released this week that showcases the people that brew, drive, stock and serve its beers. Bud Light also brought back its Bud Knight character earlier this week.

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During an appearance on “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday, AB InBev U.S. CEO Brendan Whitworth declined to directly answer a question about if Bud Light would do the Mulvaney can again if it had a second chance. His non-response drew criticism from conservative media outlets.

Whitworth on CBS said: “Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998. We will continue to support the communities and organizations we have supported for decades.”

He also said that “the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer and that conversation has become divisive and Bud Light really doesn't belong there. Bud Light should be about bringing people together.”