Lawrence “Florida Joker” Sullivan is demanding $2 million from Rockstar Games for allegedly using his likeness in GTA 6 without consent.
Sullivan – a former tattoo model who went viral in 2017 when his mugshot showed off his resemblance to the Joker – was quick to jump on social media to discuss his uncanny similarites to a character that pops up in the GTA 6 teaser.
Last Tuesday, Sullivan responded to the trailer on TikTok and said he thought a character had been “inspired by [him]”, and invited Rockstar to get in touch to “talk”. It wasn’t clear, though, if he was calling out the company for using his likeness without his permission or if he was extending a call for a deeper collaboration.
There’s no such uncertainty now, however, as Sullivan’s demands are unambiguous.
@lawrence.sullivan0 #gta6 #gta6new #gtaonline #gta6joker #florida #maimijoker #gta6 #floridajoker #miami #305 #727 #gta6trailer #thejoker #facetattoos #jokersmile #dc #fyp #joker ♬ original sound – Lawrence Sullivan
“Everybody is saying that I’m hallucinating,” Sullivan said in a new TikTok posted yesterday. “That I’m not the Joker from GTA 6. Y’all out your goddamned nuggets. That’s me. That’s me.
“We got to talk, GTA. We gotta talk. Or not, you got to give me like a mil[lion] or two,” Sullivan added.
“Florida Joker ain’t having that. Y’all took my likeness, Y’all took my life.”
As yet, there’s no update from either Rockstar or Sullivan that confirms either party has reached out, or if a compromise has been made.
GTA 6 is already breaking records despite being at least a year away from release.
The first trailer for the game, which Rockstar released ahead of schedule after it leaked on Monday, now holds the record for the most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours which isn’t a music video, according to Guinness World Records.
This also makes it the most viewed video game reveal on YouTube, according to the organisation, reaching 90,421,491 views in just 24 hours.