Transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney has reportedly taken a trip to Peru, claiming to no longer feel safe in the United States. Mulvaney sparked controversy in early April when the influencer collaborated with Bud Light in what has become one of the most disastrous ad campaigns in recent history.
Mulvaney has posted multiple videos to social media highlighting the sabbatical from the United States, where backlash has ensued against Bud Light and the influencer for over four months. “Okay, surprise,” Mulvaney said in a Tik Tok video. “I’m in Peru! I’m at Machu Picchu. Isn’t this so beautiful?” Mulvaney continued to explain the solo trip and stated Peru was a great place to visit for someone to get to know themself better.
It would appear that Mulvaney left the United States to escape the massive backlash that ensued since the collaboration with Bud Light. The influencer stated the trip was taken “to feel something,” while Mulvaney claimed to have participated in various “shaman ceremonies” that worked better than therapy. The social media personality also hinted at no longer feeling safe in America as another reason for taking the trip to South America.
“I came here to feel something. And I definitely have. I have done shaman ceremonies that were, like, 10 years’ worth of therapy, it was wild,” Mulvaney said. “I’ve seen a lot of llamas. The people here are so kind. I feel very safe here. It’s a little sad that I had to leave my country to feel safe, but that will get better eventually,” the transgender activist explained.
The disastrous Dylan Mulvaney advertising collaboration has undoubtedly taken a toll on Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch as the continual boycott has gone on for over four months, longer than an entire financial quarter. Bud Light has seen steep declines in sales week-over-week, where the worst weeks have seen sales plummet nearly 30 percent compared to last year.
Moreover, parent company Anheuser-Busch has hemorrhaged billions in market value. Model Especial has also dethroned Bud Light as the number-one-selling beer in America. Bud Light had held this coveted title for years but quickly lost it in a matter of months following the Mulvaney crisis. Some have even predicted the Bud Light boycott could last indefinitely, claiming the damage done to the brand is irreparable.
Mulvaney recently slammed Bud Light for not showing the influencer enough support in light of the backlash. “For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want. It has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community, and we’re customers too,” Mulvaney said.
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Mulvaney has also made claims of being personally affected by the backlash, stating, “And for months now, I’ve been scared to leave my house, I have been ridiculed in public, I’ve been followed, and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. And I’m not telling you this because I want your pity, I am telling you this because this is my experience from a very privileged perspective, know that it is much, much worse for other trans people.”
Check out the clip that started the whole controversy below.
Note: Featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.