Dylan Mulvaney has responded to her critics after receiving backlash for her partnerships with major brands, Nike and Bud Light. On April 1, the 26-year-old content creator - who has amassed 10.8 million followers - took to her Instagram to share a promotional video of her dressed up as Audrey Hepburn and drinking beer. A few days later, Mulvaney shared pictures of her sporting Nike leggings and sports bras as part of her paid collaboration with the athletic clothing brand. Unfortunately, the trans activist - who had <a href="https://vt.co/lifestyle/tiktok-influencer-dylan-mulvaney-shares-results-of-facial-feminization-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facial feminization surgery</a> late last year - received a flood of hate for her two deals, with users claiming that the brands shouldn't endorse a trans woman. Check out Mulvaney brand posts below: [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/CqgTftujqZc/]] [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/CqqO3Dnu4TQ/]] Even rockstar Kid Rock got involved after he <a href="https://twitter.com/KidRock/status/1643090302410936323">posted a video</a> on Twitter of himself shooting a rifle at the beverage brand. In addition to this, Caitlyn Jenner has also <a href="https://twitter.com/Caitlyn_Jenner/status/1643988654774444035">spoken out against the companies</a> for having trans women as their brand ambassadors. Now, the influencer has opened up about being a member of the transgender community and some of the scrutiny she faces during the April 11 episode of the <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-onward-with-rosie-odonnel-110519338/episode/dylan-mulvaney-112743681/?embed=true">Onward With Rosie O'Donnell</a> podcast. "The reason that I think I am so…I’m an easy target is because I’m so new to this," Mulvaney said. "I think going after a trans woman that’s been doing this for like 20 years is a lot more difficult. I think maybe they think that there’s some sort of chance with me…But what is their goal?" Mulvaney also stated that while she doesn’t let the hateful remarks on social media get to her, the backlash is a sign that things need to change. "I’m not worried about the people talking about me on their podcasts, I’m worried about their listeners," she added. "And I also think that it’s just a heavy time. And it’s time to step up, for sure." <img class="wp-image-1263205875 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-12-at-14.54.53.png" alt="" width="906" height="280" />[[imagecaption|| Nike's statement. Credit: Instagram]] Sportswear brand Nike <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqkDPmBOlXI/">addressed the controversy</a> instantly on its own social media and spoke out about creating a positive community for its customers. "You are an essential component to the success of your community!" the company said in a statement, pinned to the top of the comment section of its April 3 post. "We welcome comments that contribute to a positive and constructive discussion: Be kind, be inclusive, encourage each other. Hate speech, bullying, or other behaviors that are not in the spirit of a diverse and inclusive community will be deleted," it added. Mulvaney seemingly referenced the nasty critiques last week on her Instagram after sharing a video of her singing the song 'No One Is Alone' from Into the Woods. "It’s hard to see the light now, just don’t let it go," she wrote in the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqv7pA-ADXY/">caption</a>, referring to a lyric in the tune. "This song felt fitting for the week I’ve been having. All is well! Cheers." <h6>Featured image credit: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy</h6>

Dylan Mulvaney speaks out after receiving criticism for her brand partnerships

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