The Florida Joker has seen the trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI that dropped last week, and he is claiming theft. The man who sports a bizarre combination of facial tattoos said his image has been used without his permission and he wants to be compensated.
Lawrence Patrick Sullivan, 35, a South Florida tattoo model whose mugshot went viral for resembling a Batman villain loosely based on Heath Ledger’s portrayal as the Joker, has posted several videos on TikTok complaining that Rockstar Games, the creator of the video game, has profited from his image.
“We gotta talk, GTA,” Sullivan said in a TikTok video. “Or if not, you gotta give me like a mil (million) or two.”
Social media users have been fascinated with Sullivan’s look for years, the Miami Herald reported in 2019. Sullivan’s facial tattoos include a cross and teardrop under each darkened eye, the word “Joker” and a Batman symbol on his forehead. He also has a shock of bright green hair, according to the newspaper.
The Florida Joker -- sometimes called the Miami Joker -- first came to prominence after he was arrested on May 23, 2017, in the Miami suburb of West Kendall, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
According to the Herald, Sullivan was accused of aiming a gun at passing vehicles. At the time, he admitted to having a gun but no permit, “‘cause it’s expensive.”
The following year, Sullivan was arrested in Pinellas County on a charge of violating his probation, the Times reported. He currently lives in the Pinellas County city of Gulfport, according to WTSP.
In his TikTok video, Sullivan claimed that a character depicted in the Grand Theft Auto trailer looked like him.
“That’s me, (and) that’s the person they got the inspiration from,” Sullivan said, pointing to a photograph of himself and one from the trailer, WTSP-TV reported.
According to GameRant, the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer broke the record for the most-viewed video game reveal on YouTube within 24 hours. There were more than 90 million views.
The video has a South Florida feel to it, with Tom Petty’s 1989 song, “Love is a Long Road” set as the background music. According to Spotify, streams of Love is a Long Road skyrocketed following the release of the trailer, increasing by 36,979% compared to a week earlier.
Rockstar Games has not yet responded to Sullivan’s allegations, WTSP reported.
“Holler at me GTA,” Sullivan said in his TikTok video. “Florida Joker ain’t having that. Y’all took my likeness. Y’all took my life.”