Who Is Dylan Mulvaney? 7 Things To Know About The Actor And Activist
The following article includes references to transphobic comments and mental health struggles.
Hours before Donald Trump made history as the first U.S. Commander-in-Chief to ever face criminal charges, one of Trump's supporters was sending a strong message of his own. On April 3, 2023, a MAGA hat-wearing Kid Rock posted an Instagram video of himself shooting up a few cases of Bud Light. "F*** Bud Light and f*** Anheuser-Busch," Rock yelled. Conservative commentators were also bashing the beer brand's announcement that trans activist and actor Dylan Mulvaney would be a spokesperson. "Boycott Bud Light and NEVER DRINK IT AGAIN EVER," tweeted Mike Crispi, a former congressional candidate from New Jersey.
In response, Gemma Stone — co-founder of the news site Trans Writes — said the "Picture" singer's "example of fragile masculinity" was childish. "I hope Kid Rock has a very fun time buying things he doesn't like politically and then shooting them in his garden," Stone told Newsweek. "But it would probably be better if he transitioned to Adult Rock by growing the f*** up."
So, who is Dylan Mulvaney, and why all the fuss about her? The actor hails from a conservative area in California, and she attended The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, one of the nation's highest-rated universities for performing arts. "I think what's so great about having a degree like musical theater is that it prepared me to perform — and that's what TikTok really is, it's a performance in a way," Mulvaney told Girl Boss. "As much as you're playing yourself, you are still giving the energy to a character."
The TikTok star has 10.8 million followers
In early 2020, Dylan Mulvaney was cast as Elder White in a touring company of the hit Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon." When the pandemic hit, the production was shuttered, and the actor had to move back in with her parents. That's when she started asking herself about her true gender identity. "I had never asked myself those dark questions because when I was four, I tried coming out to my mom as a girl, but it just wasn't a thing then," she shared with Girl Boss. "Being trans was very taboo."
The out-of-work 23–year-old asked herself, "'Dylan, do you feel like a boy?' It was really during that period of unemployment that I finally asked myself, 'Who am I without this career?'" That ultimately led Mulvaney to TikTok. At first, she created funny videos, then she began chronicling her transition every step of the way in a series called "Days of Girlhood." In 2022, the activist received the TikTok Trailblazer Award for her groundbreaking series.
As of April 2023, the performer had a jaw-dropping 10.8 million followers on TikTok, with another 1.7 million on Instagram. In a 2022 interview with PopSugar, Mulvaney said she believes the more people see positive images of trans people, the more welcoming and affirming they will be. "I think that seeing trans people in the media is how we get a larger amount of acceptance, especially in states and cities that don't have a blossoming trans community," she said.
Dylan Mulvaney has connections to The White House
Dylan Mulvaney is an outspoken advocate for transgender equality. In October 2022, she was invited to the Oval Office for a NowThis News Forum with President Joe Biden about her transition and anti-trans legislation that was proposed in several states. In a TikTok video, she set the stage: "I'm ready to step up and show that trans people, we're not going anywhere, and that trans kids, they deserve a fighting chance to be their true selves." Afterward, Mulvaney felt her discussion with the president was a step in the right direction.
"I left with a lot of hope and optimism, not only for just trans people, but many different topics," she said. When Mulvaney asked POTUS if states should have the legal right to ban gender-affirming healthcare, Biden responded, "I don't think any state or anybody should have the right to do that — as a moral question and as a legal question. I just think it's wrong."
To celebrate Mulvaney's "365th day of living authentically," Vice President Kamala Harris penned a letter to the actor. As the Daily Mail reported, in the missive, dated March 13, 2023, Harris congratulated her on the milestone and commended the TikTok star for having the courage to share her story. The VP also noted of Mulvaney, "Through your work as an activist and advocate for the LGBTQI+ community, you continue to break barriers and inspire young people across our nation and around the world."
The actor's had her share of online backlash before
About a week before her trip to The White House, Dylan Mulvaney was caught in the middle of a different boycott threat. The trans advocate was a featured guest on Ulta Beauty's "The Beauty of..." podcast when she expressed her desire to be a mom one day, insisting that she can. Ulta was subsequently slammed by conservative women who watched a teaser for the episode on Twitter, which showed clips of Mulvaney and gender-fluid host David Lopez chatting "all things girlhood."
"The minute you start talking about girlhood and motherhood as if you can biologically experience it yourself, that's where I really draw the line. Women, take your business away from Ulta," one woman, for example, commented. Ulta Beauty released a statement defending Mulvaney, Lopez, and the interview. Fast forward to March 2023, when Mulvaney's appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show" had a lot of people fired up once again, but it seemed to be cis men doing much of the squawking, per Fox News. In a characteristically heart-felt gesture from the eponymous host, Drew Barrymore knelt before her guest as a sign of solidarity, but internet trolls blasted her.
Later that month, Kate Spade New York was similarly targeted for partnering with Mulvaney on a promotion for the fashion brand's spring collection. "Kate Spade just went WOKE!" tweeted one man. "... Alpha Males must STOP their girlfriends and wives from shopping here until they FIRE Dylan Mulvaney!"
Dylan Mulvaney's supporters aren't backing down
The brouhaha that erupted over Bud Light started when Dylan Mulvaney received packs of customized cans from the brew maker featuring her face on them. The gift was in honor of her "365 Days of Girlhood." The influencer is seen drinking the beer in a series of Instagram Stories videos, enthusing, "This wasn't on my bingo board, but it's now my most prized possession," with the hashtag "#budlightpartner." In another video, Mulvaney is seen downing her Bud Light while frolicking in the bathtub.
"Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points," a spokesperson for the beer maker told Fox News. "This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public," the rep added.
Anheuser-Busch has a long history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community. For decades, the beer maker has sponsored Pride events and advocated for equal rights protection nationwide. As for Kate Spade, a number of people stepped up to congratulate Mulvaney on her brand ambassador gig. "If you're mad at Kate Spade and want to get rid of your bags, DM me. I can help. I'll even pay the postage," one user tweeted. "In the meantime. Congratulations to Dylan Mulvaney and kudos to Kate Spade." As of this writing, it appears these brands (now including Nike) are standing by the transgender community.
The activist knows how to clap back
On Dylan Mulvaney's TikTok, you'll see everything from a glam sesh with "Queer Eye's" Jonathan Van Ness to meeting her idol and fellow trans actor and activist, Laverne Cox, at the Grammys. Being in the public eye, the influencer has managed to develop a thick skin, but there's one thing she won't tolerate. After documenting every day of her year-long transition, Mulvaney had a strong reaction to an online troll who ridiculed her journey in a series of videos.
In a September 2022, Mulvaney began her response by apologizing for not reaching out sooner as she was auditioning for film roles and walking the runway at New York Fashion Week. (In other words, she has better things to do.) "You're doing all those things to mock me. More specifically, you just ... hate trans people," Mulvaney said. "You can make fun of my voice or my outfits or my personality as much as you want, but you don't get to mock my identity." Mulvaney concluded with a warning to the aspiring comedian. "I'm okay right now. ... I feel pretty happy, but if you had made this video while I was maybe depressed or god forbid suicidal, that could be really effed up and that would be on you," she said, adding, "I really think that you should find something else to put this energy into ... that can be enjoyed by more people than just transphobic people."
In any case, Mulvaney remains a sought-after brand ambassador who could be earning $100,000 or more every month. It seems like she's having the last laugh.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Dylan Mulvaney said she hasn't been 'kissed as a girl'
In March 2023, Dylan Mulvaney revealed she'd recently joined the dating app Raya. In an interview with E! News, the TikTok sensation opened up about what type of person she was looking for. "Someone who really can honor that I got a lot going on and that I'm independent, but at the end of the day can cuddle, eat dinner together, and just laugh," she said. On TikTok, Mulvaney admitted, "I still haven't been kissed as a girl. And I assumed that I would have had that happen before day 365," she said. "But every day, I'm realizing that probably won't happen."
This latest clip, part of her "Dylan Does Dating" series on the challenges she faces as a single trans woman, followed a post from late 2022, in which she lamented, "I'm not enjoying my full womanhood as much as I was." Hopefully, Mulvaney will find the cuddly companion of her dreams. In a chat with Los Angeles Magazine, she got candid about the throngs of other people who love her — her social media fans.
"I struggled for so long, in having the entertainment industry accept me and have a place for me. ... Now, because the internet and all these followers have decided to love me, it's creating these opportunities that I didn't have before," said the star of "Dylan Mulvaney's Day 365 Live!" — a one-woman show she performed at New York's famed Rainbow Room. "... TikTok is a prime example of who you are, and what you want to share."
Amid the Bud Light drama, Dylan Mulvaney can't grasp 'the need to dehumanize and to be cruel'
It didn't take long for the Dylan Mulvaney/Bud Light controversy to have serious financial impact on Anheuser-Busch. Country singer John Rich pulled cases of the brew from his Redneck Riviera Bar & BBQ in Nashville to support the boycott, which was fueled by social media. It "seems to be working," one conservative group tweeted, captioning video of liquor store coolers full of Budweiser beer, but low on every other brand. In the wake of the scandal, Anheuser-Busch's value tumbled about $5 billion, according to Fox News.
In an interview on the "Make Yourself at Home" podcast, Bud Light's VP of marketing Alissa Heinerscheid explained her goal was to attract a broader audience. "[The] brand is in decline," she said. "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." On April 28, Mulvaney broke her silence about the hateful comments she received since the partnership was announced.
"What I'm struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel," she shared in an Instagram video. "Dehumanization has never fixed anything in history ever." The influencer added that she planned to continue entertaining her followers, and vowed to open up about more than her identity. "And to those of you who support me and choose to see my humanity—even if you don't fully understand or relate to me — thank you," Mulvaney said.