Anheuser-Busch CEO responds to uproar over Dylan Mulvaney sponsorship

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth responded to the uproar over transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney’s sponsorship of Bud Light, saying that the company is “in the business of bringing people together.” 

Whitworth said in release on Friday that he is responsible for making sure that “every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew” in his role as CEO. 

“We have thousands of partners, millions of fans and a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere,” he said. “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.” 

His comments came after controversy arose over Mulvaney sharing a sponsored post on her Instagram page to promote Bud Light’s March Madness contest. The post yielded backlash and protests against Bud Light and its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, from some conservative critics. 

Country music singer-songwriter Kid Rock shot several cases of Bud Light with a firearm and said “F— Bud Light and f— Anheuser-Busch.”

Mulvaney previously faced backlash over a separate sponsored Instagram post by Nike, with Caitlyn Jenner, another transgender woman, calling that brand partnership an “outrage.”

Mulvaney responded to the criticism on an episode of the iHeartMedia podcast “Onward with Rosie O’Donnell,” saying she believes she is an “easy target” because she is “still new to this.” 

“I think going after a trans woman who has been doing this for 20 years is a lot more difficult,” she said. 

Whitworth said he is focused on “building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage.” 

“I spend much of my time traveling across America, listening to and learning from our customers, distributors and others,” he wrote. “Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.”

Updated: 5:32 p.m.