Doritos Drops Transgender Influencer After Online Boycott

FritoLay's Doritos has terminated its collaboration with transgender influencer Samantha Hudson following the resurfacing of her past social media posts containing references to violence and pedophilia.

Hudson, who boasts about 370,000 followers on Instagram, was initially engaged in a promotional stunt for Doritos Spain, titled "Crunch Talks."

However, the company decided to sever ties with the 24-year-old after the revelation of her controversial tweets from 2015, which included remarks mocking rape victims and disturbing comments about underage girls, started circulating online.

"After the campaign started, we were made aware of Samantha's deleted tweets from around 2015," Doritos said in a statement to Rolling Stone. "We strongly condemn words or actions that promote violence, or sexism of any kind."

Right-Wing Audience Pushes for Doritos Boycott

Although the "Crunch Talks" video clip has since been deleted, many have already reposted it, along with Hudson's controversial tweets and the hashtag #BoycottDoritos.

Doritos has hired Samantha Hudson to be their brand ambassador in Spain.

Hudson is a self-proclaimed pedó who hates women who’ve been rąped. #BoycottDoritospic.twitter.com/N6hCbRDTtP

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) March 4, 2024

Despite Hudson's subsequent apologies, right-wing activists in the United States mobilized a boycott campaign against Doritos.

Jenna Ellis, who was part of Donald Trump's 2020 campaign legal team, expressed her disdain for the situation, "This is disgusting. Give Doritos the Bud Light treatment."

While the boycott calls were not as prominent in Spain, where Hudson is based, conservative voices, including political analyst Arturo Villa, voiced their disapproval of Hudson's association with the brand.

"You should know that if you buy any of these products you will be financing people like Samantha Hudson," he said in a statement. 

The Right-Wing Boycott Trend

The online boycott on Doritos echoes a previous incident involving Bud Light and transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Dylan Mulvaney (@dylanmulvaney)

Anti-LGBTQ+ quickly called for the boycott of the alcoholic beverage, eventually escalating to bomb threats at "multiple Anheuser-Busch facilities and wholesaler locations."

Reports also indicate that employees and distributors have been subjected to harassment by anti-LGBTQ+ groups who opposed Mulvaney's ties with the brand.

After facing criticism, Bud Light has seen a significant decline in sales, plummeting by 17% in April. Numerous executives at the company have stepped down as a result.

Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang