John Boyega Stepping Down as Jo Malone Brand Ambassador

The 'Star Wars' actor's decision follows the company reshooting a brand video he created for the Chinese market.

John Boyega is stepping down as a brand ambassador for the British perfume and candle company Jo Malone after the brand reshot a video he created for the Chinese market.

"I have decided to step down as Jo Malone's global ambassador," the Star Wars actor tweeted on Monday. "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."

The brand issued an apology on Saturday for taking an ad Boyega created and directed as a global ambassador and replacing Boyega with actor Liu Haoran (Detective Chinatown). The ensuing ad, which originally featured Boyega's family members and his childhood neighborhood in London, Peckham, did not feature any Black individuals.

According to Boyega's Monday tweets, he had no knowledge of the reshoot until the video was publicized and circulated. "Their decision to replace my campaign in China by using my concepts and substituting a local brand ambassador for me, without either my consent or prior notice, was wrong. The film celebrated my personal story– showcasing my hometown, including my friends and featuring my family," Boyega said.

He added, "While many brands understandably use a variety of globa... (Read more)

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