In their latest attempts to get Rockstar’s attention, the infamous Florida Joker, who appears to be parodied in the GTA 6 trailer, is threatening to “break out” the 18-year-old hacker who gained infamy of their own by leaking in-development videos of the upcoming crime game.
In a new video uploaded to TikTok (below), Lawrence Sullivan – the Florida Joker – reminds the developer that he wants compensation over the ‘free publicity’ he’s given the game, alongside damages for harassment.
“I can’t even eat a goddamn pizza without someone asking, ‘Can I have a picture, Mr GTA Joker?’ No, you can’t have a picture I’m eating!” he says.
Sullivan goes on to say that he now wants $10 million for his “suffering and pain” and “defamation of character” before adding, “When did GTA ever make the news? Never.”
To round out the short video, Sullivan says he’s going to “break that kid out of the psych ward” and give him a laptop so the pair can hack Rockstar’s system “again,” referring to the 18-year-old hacker behind an infamous GTA 6 leak who was subsequently sentenced to a secure hospital until doctors no longer deem him a danger.
@lawrence.sullivan0 ♬ original sound - Lawrence Sullivan
This is, of course, not the first time Sullivan has addressed Rockstar in a TikTok. Following the first GTA 6 trailer, he took to the platform to say, “GTA, we gotta talk” after seeing someone with his likeness – in case you didn’t know, Sullivan went viral in 2017 thanks to his Joker-like appearance in his mugshot. It’s a phrase that Sullivan has said several times since, as he went on to demand $2 million from Rockstar for using his likeness – a sum that’s increased gradually as each deadline has come and gone.
That’s not all that Sullivan has posted on TikTok, though, as the ‘Florida Joker’ has also dyed their hair purple and acted out GTA in real life.
@lawrence.sullivan0 ♬ GTA San Andreas Theme (Remake) - Ben Morfitt (SquidPhysics)
Rockstar hasn't commented publicly, naturally, though several actors who have featured in Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption have. Roger Clark of Arthur Morgan fame told him to "use the notoriety" instead of demanding money from Rockstar.
Florida Joker aside, it should hopefully be an eventful year for GTA 6 fans. We’ll have to wait until 2025 for a full console release – sorry PC fans – though we’ll hopefully see another trailer or two in the meantime.
