The Florida Joker is back and he has a new demand for Rockstar Games. This time, he’s asking $10 million in damages for defamation of character as well as the pain and suffering he’s endured since the studio’s use of his “likeness” in Grand Theft Auto 6.
In the event the studio doesn’t heed him, he threatens to break Arion Kurtaj out of prison and team up with him to carry out another hack of the company. The 18-year-old hacker who leaked GTA 6’s source code, assets, and in-development footage, was recently sentenced to life imprisonment in a hospital prison for his actions.
Update 5: Florida Joker gives his final warning, demands $10 million and threatens to team up with the GTA 6 hacker who cost Rockstar $5 million and thousands of staff hours last year. https://t.co/No7zqOlnO4 pic.twitter.com/lopkEYpyDh
— GTA 6 Countdown ⏳ (@GTAVI_Countdown) January 6, 2024
In his latest video, Sullivan dressed in orange prison overalls and claimed he couldn’t even eat pizza without people walking up to him and asking for pictures. He also claimed to have given GTA 6 publicity and implied he is responsible for the record-breaking success of its trailer, including becoming the most-watched gaming video within 24 hours of release as well as the most-liked entertainment trailer ever on the platform.
Since Rockstar Games released the GTA 6 trailer, the Florida Joker, real name Lawrence Sullivan, has been a thorn in its side. The fiasco began when, shortly after the trailer’s debut, Sullivan threatened the developer with a lawsuit claiming the company used his likeness, without seeking his permission, for one of the game’s characters.
Sullivan claimed that, following the trailer’s release, he became the target of online harassment and demanded that Rockstar Games provide compensation. Sullivan’s first demand was for the studio to pay him $2 million, which he subsequently upped to $5 million before settling on his latest ask demand for $10 million.
Given the pattern that’s been established over the past couple of months, it is more likely than not that Sullivan will be back with another set of demands and a new deadline for Rockstar Games to pay “his” money. It appears Sullivan is basking in the new-found fame brought about by the similarity between his person and the character in the GTA 6 trailer.
In our opinion, he is doing the smart thing in not bringing a real lawsuit against Rockstar Games. He has no chance of winning this battle, especially since Lindsay Lohan, who had more access and money, lost two such lawsuits after she claimed a GTA V character was modeled after her. The same is true of reality TV actress Karen Graven whose case was also thrown out after she claimed the GTA V character Antonia Bottino was based on her person.
Regardless of Sullivan’s antics, GTA fans are highly anticipating the title and it will be interesting to see if it lives up to the hype.
GTA 6 is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2025, with the PC version to arrive later in 2026.
