Angela B. Culture 12.10.2023 22:Dec PM EST

Florida Joker Says Rockstar Games Owes Him Money for Using His Likeness

You've probably heard about or seen the GTA VI trailer as it took social media by storm. The video shows Florida in all its glory, nodding to several real events that have happened in the state. With one reference that seems to be about the Florida Joker, he was not happy about his likeness being used.

The Florida Joker Demads Compensation

He is more known for his dubbed name given that his tattoos resemble that of the DC character, Joker. However, his real name is Lawrence Sullivan, and he believes that Rockstar Games owes him money for including him in their trailer.

Sullivan's mugshot went viral a couple of years ago due to his tattoos, and Rockstar Games thought that it would be a nice addition to the trailer, along with other viral events like the woman twerking on top of a moving vehicle.

In his first video, he simply called out the studio for creating a character that resembled him. It wasn't until the second time around that he demanded money from Rockstar Games. In the video, he said that he and GTA have "got to talk." Otherwise, they owe him $1 to $2 million.

@lawrence.sullivan0 #gta6 #gta6new #gtaonline #gta6joker #florida #maimijoker #gta6 #floridajoker #miami #305 #727 #gta6trailer #thejoker #facetattoos #jokersmile #dc #fyp #joker ♬ original sound - Lawrence Sullivan

In addition to that, he expressed: "Y'all took my likeness, y'all took my life," as reported by Game Rant. A lawyer shared his thoughts on the issue, stating that the Florida Joker's chances of squeezing money out of Rockstar Games are unlikely.

Even if you do compare the Sullivan and the fictional character's mugshots, the only similarity is that the hair is not of a natural color and both faces are heavily tattooed. Other than that, there are no other similarities.

For one, the character's hair is purple, while Sullivan's hair in the mugshot was green, ergo being called Joker. Although it's clear that the blackened eyes are somewhat the same, it's still hard to argue that the likeness is close enough to be grounds for a lawsuit.

Rockstar Games probably already has a team of lawyers ready to counter whatever Florida Joker throws at them. Besides, there are many other references based on real-life events and so far, no one has complained yet aside from Sullivan.

Read Also: 5 Things We Want to See in GTA VI

Real Events in the Trailer

A lot of YouTubers and other content creators have already pointed out that the trailer is filled with scenes that were inspired by things that happened. For instance, the alligator being pulled out of the pool is actually a common occurrence in Florida.

Rockstar Games also references a news report back in 2018 when a man in Florida decided to maintain his yard in his birthday suit. The funny thing is, there was nothing the authorities could do because he was doing so on his own property.

Speaking of naked people, another incident involved a man who wanted to be free of his clothing, although this didn't happen in Florida. Back in 2022, a man in Canada was running from the police in the nude in the same manner that was shown in the trailer.