Dylan Mulvaney Addresses Transphobic Criticism of Her Brand Partnerships

For the past couple of weeks, the 26-year-old trans influencer has been subject to an overwhelming amount of backlash from right-wing conservatives, many of whom have been trotting out their extremely hateful views in response to her new Nike and Bud Light sponsorships. And while Mulvaney has (rightfully) stayed away from any direct engagement with the bigots, she's now opening up about singlehandedly sending transphobes into a complete spiral and how she's been grappling with the difficult situation in a candid conversation with comedian Rosie O'Donnell.

"The reason I think I'm an easy target is because I'm still new to this," Mulvaney explained on the latest episode of the Onward With Rosie O' Donnellpodcast. "I think going after a trans woman who has been doing this for 20 years is a lot more difficult. Maybe they think there's some sort of chance with me that they can."

She went on to muse, "But I mean, what is their goal?"

And while Mulvaney reassured fans that she wasn't letting the online hate affect her, she did acknowledge that the issue has highlighted how scary things have become, especially amid a growing wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

“I’m not worried about the people talking about me on their podcasts, I’m worried about their listeners,” the TikTok star continued. “And I also think that, it’s just a heavy time. And it’s time to step up, for sure.”

Mulvaney first came to transphobes' attention after sharing a promotional video for Bud Light on her Instagram, as well as a custom can featuring an image of her face, which was created to celebrate the completion of her "365 Days of Girlhood" series. As a result, conservatives have been boycotting the brand, though the irony is that all the beers they've switched to are also supporters of the LGBTQ+ community.

Sadly though, Mulvaney has also been attacked for her recent partnership with Nike, drawing criticism from former Olympian and fellow trans woman Caitlyn Jenner, who accused the athletic clothing brand of going "so woke." That said, both brands have stood by their decision to work with Mulvaney, with Bud Light issuing a statement about their desire to "authentically connect with audiences across various demographics" and Nike posting an appeal on social media to "be kind" and refrain from hate speech or bullying.

Meanwhile, Mulvaney also took to Instagram to upload a candid video of herself singing "No One Is Alone," which was accompanied by a caption about how it may be "hard to see the light now, [but] just don't let it go."

You can listen to everything Mulvaney's had to say about the backlash on Onward with Rosie O'Donnell below.

Photo via Getty / Matt Winkelmeyer for The Recording Academy