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The company faced intense backlash after trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney announced her partnership with Bud Light.
ST. LOUIS — The CEO of Anheuser-Busch, the company that manufactures Bud Light, issued the company's first statement Friday amid intense anti-trans backlash online in recent weeks over Bud Light's partnership with social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Mulvaney, who is transgender and has publicly documented her experience transitioning, posted a video on April 1 announcing her partnership with Bud Light ahead of the men’s and women’s NCAA March Madness championship basketball games.
The company faced intense anti-trans backlash online from conservative commentators and entertainers, including from singers Kid Rock and Travis Tritt.
In a statement titled "Our Responsibility to America," Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said the company "never intended to be part of a conversation that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer."
The statement did not specifically mention the company's partnership with Mulvaney.
Whitworth added that "serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another."
"Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation," the statement concluded.
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