John Boyega is walking away from his global ambassador role with the Jo Malone brand.
The Small Axe star made the announcement on Monday, telling fans the brand's decision to replace his award-winning short film campaign in China "by using my concepts and substituting a local brand ambassador for me" was done without his consent. The original film in question, Boyega added, specifically celebrated his "personal story" by including friends and 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," Boyega said, adding that this will be handled "swiftly" because he doesn't have "time for nonsense."
Also on Monday, a rep for the Jo Malone London brand shared a statement calling Boyega an "incredible talent and person." The statement also confirmed Boyega's exit from his global ambassador role:
The original ad in question first aired in 2019 and featured Boyega in his childhood neighborhood, with the video ultimately going on to bag the Fragrance Foundation Virtual Awards' Best Media Campaign honors. As Deadline notes, Boyega was previously removed from promo material in China during the Star Wars: The Force Awakens era, as was co-star Oscar Isaac.
Earlier this month, Boyega gave British GQ his first major interview since finishing his Star Wars franchise duties. During the discussion, Boyega spoke candidly on how the franchise ultimately failed his character Finn, as well as the larger issue of how Disney repeatedly mishandled the franchise's characters of color.
