The Daily Caller has reported on what it called ‘leaked text messages’ from a ‘company insider’ who claimed that Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch have fired the two marketing executives behind the ‘disastrous’ partnership featuring trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
It was reported that marketing executives Alissa Heinerscheid and Daniel Blake were put on leave in the wake of the partnership which saw wide scale boycotts of the beer although parent company Anheuser-Busch previously denied that the pair had been fired.
The messages claim that the company is reluctant to use the word ‘fired’ as it would leave them open to ‘legal action’ but that in effect the pair have been ‘let go against their will.’
Last month a statement from the company claimed that, “There is no truth to that statement,” that the pair were fired, adding:
“Anheuser-Busch 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. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said the conversation surrounding Bud Light “has moved away from beer,” and had become “divisive” in the wake of the controversy adding that the beer “should be all about bringing people together,”
He said the backlash had impacted on the over 65,000 people who are employed by the company emphasising that what had happened was his responsibility as CEO.
“I think one thing that I’d love to make extremely clear is that impact is my responsibility,” he said adding, “everything we do here, I’m accountable for,”
Actor and Tiktok star Dylan Mulvaney has said he experienced ‘transphobia’ and ‘bullying’ after accepting the sponsorship deal with the Bud Light parent company earlier this year.
The brand sent Mulvaney a personalised beer can with his image on it to celebrate his “365 days of girlhood” where the biological male claimed to have ‘been a woman’ for that period.
The partnership reportedly saw sales of the beer fall by 25% in a matter of weeks after conservatives began boycotting the brand over its choice of promotional partner.
It was also reported that Bud Light lost its place as America’s number one selling beer due to the boycotts.
26 year old Mulvaney’s meteoritic rise to fame included an interview with US President Joe Biden where he advocated for medical interventions for “trans children”.