Lawrence Sullivan, a tattoo model who became famous as the Florida Joker after his mugshot went viral in 2017, has dropped his legal threats against Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive over a character in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) game that he claims resembles him.
Sullivan, who has a striking resemblance to the Batman villain Joker, initially demanded up to $10 million in compensation from the game developers for allegedly using his likeness without his permission in the GTA 6 trailer, which is set in a fictional version of Florida. He also threatened to release a hacker who could sabotage the game if his demands were not met.
He even dyed his hair purple to match the character in the trailer, and claimed that he was the reason why the game was so hyped and that he made the game more relevant through his social media presence, especially on TikTok, where he has over 2 million followers.
However, in a recent TikTok video, Sullivan changed his tune and said he was not suing Rockstar Games anymore, but instead wanted to work with them. He urged the game developers to contact him and offer him a deal to voice the character and participate in promotional events for the game. He suggested that he should be paid between $50,000 and $100,000 for his involvement, and that his collaboration would boost the game’s popularity and sales.
Sullivan’s legal threats and subsequent change of heart have attracted a lot of attention from the gaming community and the media. The trailer for the game, which was released in December 2023, broke YouTube records with over 200 million views in 24 hours, and sparked a lot of speculation and excitement among fans about the game’s content, features, and release date.
However, it is unlikely that Sullivan will get any concessions from Rockstar Games, as the game developers are known for their legal expertise and their strict policies regarding their intellectual property. Roger Clark, a voice actor who played Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, another Rockstar game, advised Sullivan against pursuing legal action, and suggested that he should capitalize on his newfound attention instead of antagonizing the game developers.
According to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, GTA 6 is expected to be released sometime after March 2025, slightly later than previously speculated. The game is set to be a massive open-world adventure that will feature multiple cities, characters, and stories, and will be compatible with the latest gaming consoles and technologies.
