John Boyega has stepped down from his role as global ambassador for Jo Malone.
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The news comes after the actor was replaced in a Chinese ad he made for the perfume brand by a Chinese actor.
The ‘Star Wars’ actor made the ad in his home city of London; however, it was re-shot to “fit” the Chinese market.
He announced the news on his Twitter account, in a lengthy statement that read:
“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. 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. While many brands understandably use a variety of global and local ambassadors , dismissively trading out one’s culture this way is not something I can condone.”
Jo Malone has since apologized and issued their own statement that said:
“We deeply apologize for what, on our end, was a mistake in the local execution of the John Boyega campaign.”
The company has since removed the advertisement from its campaign in China.