Actor John Boyega steps down as Jo Malone ambassador after being replaced in China ad
The perfume brand had cast actor Liu Haoran in the Chinese version of the advertising campaign that was originally based on Boyega's personal experiences.
John Boyega arrives for the world premiere of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, the highly anticipated conclusion of the Skywalker saga on December 16, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Disney/AFP)
John Boyega has stepped down from perfume brand Jo Malone as its ambassador. He took to social media to announce the news on Monday (Sep 14).
The Star Wars actor tweeted: “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.”
He added in several other tweets that the film that he conceived, directed and starred in, titled London Gent, celebrated his personal story and showcased his hometown, friends and family. The ad showed Boyega walking around the Peckham neighbourhood in London and featured a predominantly black cast.
The 28-year-old London-born actor also said that the brand’s decision to use his concepts in the campaign in China while substituting him with a local brand ambassador “was wrong” and that it was done without his consent or prior notice.
The news comes a day after Jo Malone publicly apologised to the actor for its actions. The brand had replaced Boyega with Chinese star Liu Haoran in the advertisement meant for the China market.
READ:Â Perfume brand says cutting Star Wars actor John Boyega from ad was misstep
It admitted in a statement that it made “a mistake in the local execution of the John Boyega campaign.”
The statement added: “While we immediately took action and removed the local version of the campaign, we recognise that this was painful and that offense was caused.”
The brand has accepted Boyega’s resignation and tweeted: “John Boyega is an incredible talent, artist and person and we were proud to have him as part of our Jo Malone London family. We respect John’s decision and we wish him all the best.”
