Rockstar Games is notorious for their tongue-in-cheek attitude to the way they produce their Grand Theft Auto franchise, often gaining controversy and complaints along the way. The latest saga in the GTA 6 chapter is a bizarre tale of comparison, social media and lawsuit threats.
If you haven’t already heard of the Florida Joker, strap in. Lawrence Sullivan is a 35-year-old tattoo model from South Florida who was dubbed ‘The Florida Joker’ after his mugshot went viral for resembling the iconic Batman villain. When the first GTA 6 trailer dropped, a character strongly resembling him caused him to threaten Rockstar with a lawsuit unless he was paid millions in US dollars.
The tables have now turned drastically in the last week and he has stated he would prefer to voice the character rather than sue Rockstar for the uncanny resemblance, going back on his original threat.
The similarities were first spotted online when the record-breaking trailer first dropped back in December of last year. The GTA version of (what he believes to be) him is seen in a very quick clip of news footage and although there are some differences (purple hair instead of green) Sullivan went live on TikTok sporting new purple hair not long after the trailer drop to prove to fans he was right in his claims. Later, he went onto TikTok once more to demand $2 million from Rockstar, claiming “y’all took my likeness, y’all took my life.” GTA 6 will be set in the fictional version of Florida, named Leonida which is home to Vice City, based on Miami where Sullivan is from.
Sullivan argues that Rockstar profited off his appearance, but Sullivan is known for using Heath Ledger’s interpretation of the Joker to boost his social media views and reputation. He is known for a few public stints, but is widely followed for his brand as ‘The Florida Joker’ as he is a tattoo model who has an abundance of tattoos based on the character, giving him a resemblance.
In his latest TikTok, Sullivan claims that he has made the game more relevant and is why people want to play the latest instalment that fans have waited eleven years for. He says “Let me voice the character, let me go to the meet and greets when the game is released.” He goes on to claim Everyone knows who I am, trust me. So GTA, Rockstar, we gotta talk.”
Representatives of Rockstar have yet to comment on the proposal from the Florida Joker, but as there is still a while until the release date for the game, there is still a chance for it to become acknowledged.
Words by Maisie Hancox
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