‘Grand Theft Auto 6’ Confronted By ‘Florida Joker’ To Pay $2M For Spoofing Him
Video screenshot via Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) has escaped Uncanny Valley to tailgate reality. As revealed in the trailer for the new GTA 6, the game references wacky real-world events stemming from Florida.
Now, the character known as the ‘Florida Joker’, real name Lawrence Sullivan, has responded to the supposed parodying of his image in the game.
Sullivan, whose mugshot gained internet infamy after he was arrested in Miami, has accused developer Rockstar Games of using his likeness in the latest teaser. The man is known for his Joker-like facial tattoos and bright green hair, and these features are reflected in a character who appears for a brief moment in a courtroom scene in the game.
Florida Joker now wants $2 Milli from Rockstar Games for using his appearance: “Y’all took my likeness, y’all took my life.” pic.twitter.com/vzfeGII58a
— Modern Notoriety (@ModernNotoriety) December 9, 2023
The developers of GTA 6 really took their time studying Florida culture so they could make it as real as possible 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/YXeX21l9nv
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) December 6, 2023
“You know, they got that character with the face tattoos, you know who they got that inspired by—by me! Just look me up: ‘Florida Joker,’ ‘Miami Joker,’ you know what I’m talking about,” Sullivan declares in a TikTok video.
“That’s me. That’s the person they got their inspiration from,” says Sullivan. He then demands compensation from Rockstar Games, saying, “GTA, we got to talk. If not, you got to give me like a [million] or two.”
Sullivan elaborates: “Florida Joker ain’t having it. Y’all took my likeness, y’all took my life.”
The man has mentioned that his body art holds personal significance to him, as he sees DC’s Joker character as a “rose” who overcame tragedies in his life. Telling WFLA in a 2018 interview, he said the old Lawrence with a plain face was dead, and in his wake was “the new Lawrence slash Joker.”
@lawrence.sullivan0 #gta6 #gta6new #gtaonline #gta6joker #florida #maimijoker #gta6 #floridajoker #miami #305 #727 #gta6trailer #thejoker #facetattoos #jokersmile #dc #fyp #joker
♬ original sound - Lawrence Sullivan
Rockstar Games has previously faced likeness claims in other GTA titles. For instance, Lindsay Lohan sued the company in 2014, claiming a character in GTA 5 resembled her. However, her suit was dismissed by the New York Supreme Court in 2016, as the court found that the developer never used Lohan’s name, photograph, or her as an actor for the game, and the game was a work of fiction not protected by laws that cover advertising.
[via GamesRadar, Naples News, Insider, images via various sources]
