Lawrence Sullivan, known as the real-life ‘Florida Joker’, is demanding millions of dollars from Rockstar for using his “likeness” in the GTA 6 trailer.
After a decade since the last entry in the series, on December 4 gamers finally got their long-awaited first look at the next installment in the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
The GTA 6 trailer was released ahead of plan after it was leaked online forcing Rockstar to scramble and officially release it themselves as the internet was in chaos. Fans have analyzed the trailer frame by frame and pointed out many easter eggs, such as references to past GTA games, real-life landmarks, memes, and more.
One part of the GTA 6 trailer appears to reference the infamous criminal ‘Florida Joker’ — who in 2022 was arrested for a warrant for a concealed-carry offense. Quickly, the case went viral across social media, as the man’s mugshot displaying his facial tattoos rather resembled the notorious DC Comics villain.
Florida Joker wants millions from Rockstar Games
Quickly, ‘Florida Joker’, whose real name is Lawrence Sullivan, called out the Rockstar developers, claiming they were inspired by him. “GTA, we gotta talk,” he stated on the situation. Now, on December 8, Sullivan has reacted again, demanding that Rockstar pay him for using his “likeness.”
“Everybody saying I’m hallucinating, that I’m not the joker from GTA 6, you’re out your god damn nuggets,” he said in a TikTok post. “That’s me. That’s the person they got the inspiration from. You see that?”
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Sullivan showed a side-by-side comparison of the in-game version of “himself” and his mugshot that went viral across the internet. “That’s me. GTA, we got to talk.”
He added: “Or not, you guys give me a [million] or two. So what’s up? Holla at me GTA, Rockstar Entertainment, Rockstar Games. Rockstar enterprise. Florida Joker ain’t having that. Y’all took my likeness. Y’all took my life.”
While not much is known about GTA 6’s setting, we do know the game takes place in the fictional state of Leonida, evidently a play on Florida.
However, while the Florida Joker is unpleased with seemingly being part of the game, some are chuffed, to say the least, with one fan in disbelief as they spotted their “doppelganger” in the GTA 6 trailer.