The actor John Boyega has resigned as the global ambassador for perfume brand Jo Malone after he was replaced in an advertisement he made for them by a Chinese actor.
The Star Wars star made the video in his home city of London during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but per the BBC, it was re-shot for the Chinese market.
The company has since apologized for what it described as a "misstep" that caused "offense".
Boyega has since retaliated, and said that the perfume company was "wrong" to have used another actor without his "consent or prior notice".
Taking to Twitter, he wrote that while he accepted that companies would use different representatives around the world, "dismissively trading out one's culture this way is not something I can condone."
"I have decided to step down as Jo Malone's global ambassador. When I joined the brand as their first male global ambassador last year, I created the short film we used to launch the campaign. It won the Fragrance Foundation Virtual awards 2020 for Best Media Campaign.
"Their decision to replace my campaign in China by using my concepts and substituting a local brand ambassador for me, without either my consent or prior notice, was wrong. The film celebrated my personal story– showcasing my hometown, including my friends and featuring my family.
"While many brands understandably use a variety of global and local ambassadors , dismissively trading out one’s culture this way is not something I can condone. It’s back to back but I assure you this will be dealt with swiftly. I don’t have time for nonsense. We press on and strong. Stay blessed people."
The advert, which was ultimately recreated, largely followed the same script, but featured the Chinese actor Liu Haoran instead of Boyega.
The original version, titled London Gent, displayed Boyega hanging out with friends and family in Peckham, London, where he grew up.
These scenes and people were also removed for Chinese audiences.
