Anheuser-Busch marketing execs responsible for Bud Light transgender fiasco take permanent ‘leave of absence’: Report
'Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence, which we support,' Anheuser-Busch said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal. 'Daniel has also decided to take a leave of absence.'
The leading pair of Anheuser-Busch's marketing team, Daniel Blake and Alissa Heinerscheid, have reportedly parted ways with the brand, according to internal texts procured by the Daily Caller.
Blake, Group Vice President for Marketing, and Heinerscheid, Bud Light Marketing Vice President, are described as being “gone gone” in these messages, shared by an anonymous regional marketing head.
The use of 'leave of absence' instead of the term 'fired' was to avoid possible legal implications, as per the texts.
“To my understanding if we publicly announced the word ‘fire’ it opens up the potential for them to sue us. Thats why we said leave of absence,” the source said in the text message obtained by the publication.
“The wholesalers would have had an absolute HAY DAY with leadership if they didn’t remove her.”
The Daily Caller attempted to get a confirmation on their employment status from Anheuser-Busch earlier in June. Queries about whether Blake and Heinerscheid were still on leave, the nature of this leave (paid or unpaid), and the prospect of their return to work remained unanswered despite several days given to the company to respond.
“Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence, which we support,” an Anheuser-Busch said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal. “Daniel has also decided to take a leave of absence.”
The parent company of Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch, faced substantial backlash and lost its title as America’s top-selling beer brand in early June. The public outcry started when transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney displayed a personalized Bud Light beer can featuring his image.
Bud Light further stoked controversy by launching a can adorned with a rainbow design and the slogan “celebrate everyone’s identity,” with a variety of pronouns imprinted on the bottle.
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