John Boyega Drops Jo Malone Ambassador Title After Brand Removes ‘Star Wars’ Actor From China Ad

Alexandra Del Rosario
·2 min read

John Boyega will no longer represent London cosmetics brand Jo Malone, he announced Monday.

“I don’t have time for nonsense. We press on and strong. Stay blessed people,” he wrote in a Twitter thread explaining his decision.

The Star Wars star, who was Jo Malone’s first male global ambassador, exited the campaign after the brand reshot a video he made for a marketing campaign and removed him from the clip.

The original ad, called “The London Gent” aired last year and saw Boyega walking around his childhood neighborhood. It also nods to his Nigerian background. The video has since won the Fragrance Foundation Virtual Award’s Best Media Campaign prize.

“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,” Boyega’s thread continued. “The film celebrated my personal story – showcasing my hometown, including my friend and featuring my family.”

Over the weekend Jo Malone issued an apology to the actor.

“John is a tremendous artist with great personal vision and direction. The concept for the film was based on John’s personal experiences and should not have been replicated,” the brand told The Hollywood Reporter.

The Jo Malone debacle was not the first time Boyega has been removed for promotional material in China. Back in 2015, a Star Wars: The Force Awakens poster for China left out the actor and co-star Oscar Isaac.

Read Boyega’s full thread below.

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