Dylan Mulvaney has broken her silence saying she had "a lot going on" after there were calls to boycott Bud Light beer for supporting the transgender TikTok star.
Bud Light came under fire after it sent Mulvaney a commemorative can of beer with her face on it to celebrate her one year anniversary of starting her gender transition. Mulvaney showed off the commemorative can on her Instagram, but a backlash followed with calls to boycott the brand.
The reaction to Bud Light's gesture is part of a wider debate about transgender people, especially transgender women, and their inclusion in female issues and spaces. Some say transgender women are women who are welcome, while others say they are different and that hard-won women's rights must be protected.
In a new video, a makeup-free Mulvaney spoke to her fans and apologized for not posting more content over the past week.
"Hi, how are you? I haven't been making as many videos, there's been a lot going on and I was feeling a little down today, but I was walking on the sidewalk in New York and this garbage truck drives by me and garbage truck driver leaned out of the window and said, 'Hello Dylan'," she started.
Mulvaney replied saying "hello" and giving the driver a wave back.
"It was the most unexpected person and it gave me the courage to keep going. I love you and if you're that man and is watching this right now, you really made my day, and I especially love you," she said.
Her fans loved the sweet video, even Santa Claus' official account, who replied to Mulvaney saying, "the power of sharing kind words is SO impactful."
Another fan added: "Dylan all of your struggles will be worth it. Your voice and representation are helping so many people!"
And a third wrote: "I just adore you! You make my heart happy."
Mulvaney rose to fame on TikTok with her Day 365 Of Girlhood video series and has signed a number of brand partnerships, including with Kate Spade and most recently named a sports bra model for Nike.
But a number of social media users, conservative commentators, and even musician, Kid Rock, did not approve of Bud Light's support of Mulvaney.
Rock shot up several cases of Bud Light and yelled "F*** Bud Light and f*** Anheuser-Busch," —Bud Light's parent company— in a viral video that has since gone viral.
Transgender advocates reacted to Rock's video telling him to grow up.
"I hope Kid Rock has a very fun time buying things he doesn't like politically and then shooting them in his garden. But it would probably be better if he transitioned to Adult Rock by growing the f*** up," Gemma Stone, co-founder of news site Trans Writes, told Newsweek.
A spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch told Newsweek it sent Mulvaney the can to help her celebrate her "personal milestone" and added, the company "works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics. From time to time we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney."
UPDATE, 4/6/23 5:06 a.m. ET. This story was updated to add more information and context.
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.
");jQuery(this).remove()}) jQuery('.start-slider').owlCarousel({loop:!1,margin:10,nav:!0,items:1}).on('changed.owl.carousel',function(event){var currentItem=event.item.index;var totalItems=event.item.count;if(currentItem===0){jQuery('.owl-prev').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-prev').removeClass('disabled')} if(currentItem===totalItems-1){jQuery('.owl-next').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-next').removeClass('disabled')}})}})})
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrK6enZtjsLC5jp2wpZmeYrq2uNWapZ6xXam2rMDOpGSbrZRiuaqzx61km52Vp3q1vsCnqqCdnpmys3mQcHBrcGZn