The producers of Peaky Blinders have criticised the use of the show’s footage in an anti-LGBT ad promoted by US presidential candidate Ron DeSantis’ campaign.
The clip featured the hit show’s main character Tommy Shelby during an ad promoting the Florida governor’s legislative attacks against LGBT+ people.
On Wednesday, the show’s “partners”, including lead star Cillian Murphy, denounced the ad and said the footage had been used without permission.
They said in a statement: “We confirm that the footage of Tommy Shelby’s character used within the video posted by Ron DeSantis’ campaign was obtained without permission or official licence.
“We do not support or endorse the video’s narrative and strongly disapprove of the use of the content in this manner.”
The clip, posted on Twitter on June 30 to mark the end of Pride Month, begins by slamming Donald Trump for vowing to “protect our LGBTQ citizens.”
It criticises Trump for saying that he would allow Caitlyn Jenner to choose whichever bathroom she wanted to use and for allowing transgender women to participate in his beauty pageants.
— Peaky Blinders (@ThePeakyBlinder) July 5, 2023
It then cuts to edited footage promoting DeSantis’ curbing of LGBT+ rights.
In one clip, the Republican is shown wearing sunglasses above the headline, “DeSantis Signs ‘Most Extreme Slate of Anti-Trans Laws in Modern History.’”
Many of the frames reference DeSantis’ anti-LGBT stance while also portraying him as masculine, using images of a male body builder and a clip of Christian Bale in American Psycho.
Among the references are two clips of Murphy’s Peaky Blinders character, Tommy Shelby. The hit crime drama follows the exploits of the Peaky Blinders crime gang in the aftermath of WW1.
DeSantis launched his bid to become the next US president in May. The two-term Florida governor took the unconventional step of launching his campaign on Twitter in a conversation with Elon Musk.
He is noted for his socially conservative views which has included cracking down on undocumented immigration, banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors, and banning higher Florida education institutions from spending tax dollars on most diversity programs.
