"Florida Joker" Suing Rockstar Games, Claiming Character From 'Grand Theft Auto 6' Is Based on Him
Seeking between $1 and $2 million USD for using his likeness.
Lawrence Sullivan – more commonly known as the “Florida Joker” – went viral a few years ago for his Joker-esque mugshots, complete with face tattoos and dyed hair. In the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, which recently surfaced two weeks back, a man reminiscent of the Florida Joker – face tattoos and vibrantly dyed hair – was featured, evocative of Sullivan’s initial viral photos. Sullivan is now suing Rockstar Games – seeking somewhere between $1 and $2 million USD – for using his likeness in the GTA 6 trailer, and he’s showing no signs of backing down.
“That’s me,” Sullivan commented as he compared pictures of himself to the in-game character. “That’s the person they got the inspiration from. That’s me. That’s me. See that? GTA, we gotta talk. Or no, you gotta give me like a mill or two…Y’all took my likeness. Y’all took my life.”
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Sullivan has been flooding his Instagram feed with comparison posts and clips. “F*ck that GTA sh*t, this is the real deal,” the latest video announces.
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Packed with real-life references and influences, GTA 6 isn’t the first installment of the franchise to see a likeness incident; in 2014, Lindsay Lohan sued Rockstar over using her likeness for one of GTA 5‘s minor characters. Lohan’s claim was dismissed in 2018, with the court deeming the character was merely “a generic young woman.”
Stay tuned to Hypebeast for more updates as they transpire.
