The 'Florida Joker' from the GTA 6 trailer now wants millions from Rockstar after claiming 'Y'all took my likeness'

GTA 6 joker
(Image credit: Rockstar)

Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) finally got its first trailer earlier this month (December 4), and while it arrived to much applause, there was at least one person who didn't look upon it so favorably. 

One said person is someone who is known as the 'Florida Joker,' Lawrence Sullivan. Recently, he took to Twitter to complain that Rockstar had stolen his likeness: “Y’all took my likeness, y’all took my life.” Sullivan is currently demanding $2 million from the publisher Rockstar; however, he hasn't taken legal action yet. 

Sullivan refers to the short appearance in the GTA 6 trailer of a pink-haired character who is seemingly sitting in a courtroom. While the image appeared for a very short time, it was among many other stills that have apparently been based on real videos and images taken in the state of Florida.

Regardless of whether this claim is substantiated or not, this isn't the first time that Rockstar has been put in the hot seat. When Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5) was released, actor Lindsey Lohan attempted to sue the publisher, claiming her likeness was used in the form of a minor character in the open-world game (via BBC).  However, a New York court dismissed her claim, stating that the character was simply a "generic young woman."

While the outcome of Sullivan's claims has yet to be seen, Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Morgan voice actor has also come out to weigh in on the situation. Roger Clark posted a video on TikTok responding to Sullivan: "You don't need to talk to them. They're not going to talk to you." Clark said. "They've had people like you trying to sue them for decades. They are lawyered up, man. They know exactly what they can and cannot get away with."

For more excellent titles which you can play right now check out the best story games as well as the best single-player games.

Elie Gould
Features Writer

Elie is a Features Writer for TechRadar Gaming, here to write about anything new or slightly weird. Before writing for TRG, Elie studied for a Masters at Cardiff University JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs or editing the gaming section for their student publications. 

Elie’s first step into gaming was through Pokémon but they've taken the natural next step in the horror genre. Any and every game that would keep you up at night is on their list to play - despite the fact that one of Elie’s biggest fears is being chased. 

Read more
GTA 5
GTA Online publisher Take-Two is gunning for a black market that’s basically heaven for cheaters
Lucia and her partner sat on the bonnet of a car in the GTA 6 key art
GTA 6 - everything we know so far
GTA 5 on PS5 and Xbox Series X
GTA 5's Trevor wants his character to die in GTA 6: 'It would be fun if Trevor appeared in it just to be killed at the beginning... I think that would be cool'
Grand Theft Auto 6
The GTA 6 release date may have leaked, and it could be an important franchise anniversary
Grand Theft Auto 6
GTA 6 is predicted to be “one of the biggest entertainment launches in history"
GTA 6
Take-Two reaffirms that GTA 6 will launch in 2025, so there's no need to worry about a delay for now
Latest in PC Gaming
Asus ROG Ally using Steam
I think Asus could be the perfect partner for an Xbox handheld – but I have questions
Playing games on the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma without an external display.
The Razer Handheld Dock Chroma offers Steam Deck owners a premium design and, of course, plenty of RGB
Image of GTA 6 protagonists and PS5
GTA 6's console-only launch reminds me of how much I despise console exclusivity - is it worth waiting years for PC ports?
Image of Grand Theft Auto 6 promotional art and Corsair's PC cases
GTA 6 could reach PCs in early 2026 according to Corsair – but I'm already sick of waiting
An angry PC Gamer sat at their desk looking unhappy
Can’t buy an Nvidia RTX 5080 or 5090 GPU due to stock shortages? If you were hoping GeForce Now might provide a good alternative, we’ve got some bad news
Steam Deck controls close up
Steam Deck fans, you're in for a good one - AMD's FSR 3 frame generation is now available on Valve's handheld thanks to a new Decky plugin
Latest in News
Google Pixel 8a in aloe green showing
Google Pixel 9a benchmark link teases the performance of the upcoming mid-ranger
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over