Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney says she is ‘thriving’ despite the backlash she’s received over her new partnership with Bud Light – saying ‘she’s doing great’ outside a film studio in Hollywood.
Dressed in the same Burberry skirt suit she was seen running errands less than 48 hours before, the 26-year-old activist said on Tuesday she was unbothered by the fallout she’s now facing – happily asserting that ‘life is good’.
Footage of the brief interaction shows Mulvaney politely answering the pap’s questions, providing quick but curt answers while looking down at her phone.
When asked if she expects the recent unrest to pass and whether transgender influencers were ‘the future’, the TikTok star – roughly a week into her gig as the beer’s brand ambassador – replied with a resounding ‘yes’.
The exchange only lasted a few seconds, and ultimately saw Mulvaney put her phone to her ear to indicate the conversation was over.
It served as the second time the star was spotted out in Beverly in several days, as many continue to swear off Bud Light in protest of the newly unveiled partnership.
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Dressed in the same Burberry skirt suit she was seen running errands less than 48 hours before on Sunday, the 26-year-old activist said she was unbothered by the fallout she’s now facing – happily asserting that ‘life is good’
Dylan Mulvanety was seen arriving at a studio in Hollywood on Tuesday
On Sunday, the polarizing personality – who only ballooned to internet stardom during the pandemic – was spotted picking up a prescription and an Amazon Prime package in the posh LA suburb where she now lives.
For that outing, the social media star wore the exact same Burberry power suit seen on her person Tuesday – just sporting a slightly different pink top.
Also different was the aspiring fashionista’s choice of foot- and headwear, with photos showing her donning a pair of matching Doc Marten’s boots and a baker boy cap.
She also wore a pair of designer shades and as well as a pulled-down face mask, but removed the sunglasses as she again avoided eye contact with photographers by checking her phone intently.
On Tuesday, Mulvaney elected for a more basic look, ditching the accessories for a low cut pink top and matching pearl necklace. She also wore a pair of pink leggings after letting them go bare on Sunday.
She also appeared to have recently done her hair and makeup, though it was not immediately clear whether she was dressed up for another spot for Bud Light.
The controversy began just over a week ago, when Bud Light announced their partnership with Mulvaney by sending the popular influencer the custom-made cans.
The gift – touted by the trans star in a series of partnered posts to social media – kicked of the since-confirmed partnership between the parties, further established with an ensuing video featuring a naked Mulvaney.
Mulvaney donned a low cut pink top and matching pearl necklace for the studio visit, as well as pair of pink leggings after letting them go bare earlier in the week
Dressed in the same Burberry skirt suit she was seen running errands less than 48 hours before, the 26-year-old activist said on Tuesday she was unbothered by the fallout she’s now facing – happily asserting that ‘life is good’
It served as the second time the star was spotted out in Beverly in several days, as many continue to swear of the beer in protest of the newly unveiled partnership
The exchange only lasted a few seconds, and ultimately saw Mulvaney put her phone to her ear as if to indicate an end the conversation
Appearing before her 11million followers in a bathtub drinking a Bud Light, Mulvaney cracked open a can of the drink before chatting about March Madness,
The inaugural advert also saw the activist promote a contest involving the basketball tournament, and included the hashtag ‘#budlightpartner’ – as well as a caption in which Mulvaney called the cans as her ‘most prized possession’.
The spot quickly drew criticism, mainly toward Bud Light, with marketing boss Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid – who was hired to overhaul Bud Light’s marketing in June 2022 with the vision of freshening up its image – bearing the brunt of the blowback.
During a podcast appearance late last month, days before the Mulvaney partnership was announced, Heinerscheid, 39, vowed to lead an inclusivity revolution at the brand and ditch its ‘fratty’ image.
‘I’m a businesswoman. I had a really clear job to do when I took over Bud Light, and it was this brand is in decline. It’s been in decline for a really long time. And if we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand, there will be no future for Bud Light.
‘So I had this super clear mandate. It’s like we need to evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand.’
She continued: ‘What does evolve and elevate mean? It means inclusivity. It means shifting the tone. It means having a campaign that’s truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different. And appeals to women and to men.
On Sunday, the polarizing personality – who only ballooned to internet stardom relatively recently during the pandemic – was spotted picking up a prescription and an Amazon Prime package in the posh LA suburb where she now lives
For that outing, the social media star wore the exact same Burberry power suit seen on her person Sunday, while sporting a slightly different pink top
Also different was the aspiring fashionista’s choice of foot- and headwear, with photos showing her donning a pair of matching Doc Marten’s boots and a baker boy cap
She also wore a pair of designer shades and as well as a pulled-down face mask, but removed the sunglasses as she again avoided eye contact with photographers by checking her phone intently
‘And representation. Is it sort of the heart of evolution? You’ve got to see people who reflect you in the work.
‘And we had this hangover. I mean, Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out of touch humor, and it was really important that we had another approach,’ she said.
In an earlier interview with Forbes, she gave the same mandate.
‘As the first woman to lead the biggest beer brand in the world, it’s an amazing opportunity to really evolve and elevate Bud Light, this brand I love.
‘This campaign is meant to feel different, to be lighter and brighter, with a confidence and magnetism, and it’s really critical to depict real people and real places,’ she said.
‘What I need to do to help this brand to evolve… this is my passion point.’
Mulvaney – a transgender woman who during the pandemic became known on TikTok for her ‘days of girlhood’ series – has more than 10.8million followers on the platform.
Shortly after Mulvaney’s announcement, conservative beer-drinker such as Kid Rock, 52, swore of the brand completeley, with the musician posting aa video shooting up packs of Bud Light as affirmation
The rocker has been joined by country stars Travis Tritt and John Rich in boycotting the beer.
Amid this outcry, Bud Light’s parent company and Heinerscheid’s former employer, Anheuser-Busch, issued a statement saying it supported the brand’s decision to work with Mulvaney, whose videos follow her journey.
‘Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics,’ the rep said in a statement shared with several outlets last week.
It added: ‘From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.’
Their doubling down only enraged angered customers more.
Onlookers are now criticizing the maneuver as a shameless publicity grab, amid the recent trend of companies going ‘woke’ to better their bottom lines.
The 26-yea-old transgender activist announced the partnership in a now viral post included the hashtag ‘#budlightpartner’, and a caption that touted the cans as her ‘most prized possession’
The controversy began just over a week ago, when Bud Light announced their partnership with Mulvaney by sending the popular influencer the custom-made cans with her face
The spot quickly drew criticism, mainly toward Bud Light, with marketing boss Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid (seen here) – who was hired to overhaul Bud Light’s marketing in June 2022 with the vision of freshening up its image – bearing the brunt of the blowback