Summary
- Lawrence Sullivan, aka the "Florida Joker," claims he is being harassed after threatening legal action against Rockstar Games for using his likeness in Grand Theft Auto 6.
- Despite the character in question not being an exact match, Sullivan demands money from Rockstar and even dyed his hair to support his case.
- While unlikely to succeed due to differences in tattoos and Rockstar's legal experience, the Florida Joker persists in his threats of a lawsuit against the developer.
Lawrence Sullivan, also known as the “Florida Joker,” is now claiming he is being harassed following his threats of legal action against Rockstar Games over Grand Theft Auto 6. When the long-awaited initial reveal trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 was released earlier this month, fans quickly drew comparisons between the wild antics of Vice City’s citizens and real-life news stories - including a tattooed criminal being taken to court. This criminal is said to resemble Sullivan, who gained the nickname "Florida Joker" after his mugshot went viral in 2017.
While the Grand Theft Auto 6 character in question isn’t an exact match for the Florida Joker, Lawrence Sullivan soon claimed that Rockstar stole his likeness and that he and the developer “needed to talk” not too long after the trailer went live. As the weeks went on, the Florida Joker would continue to demand money from Rockstar, even going as far as to dye his hair the same color as the GTA 6 character to support his point. Meanwhile, commentators like Red Dead Redemption 2 star Roger Clark have pointed out how unlikely it is for Sullivan to win any potential case against Rockstar.
GTA 6: Arthur Morgan Actor Responds To Florida Joker's Demand For Money From Rockstar
Red Dead Redemption 2's Roger Clark, who famously played Arthur Morgan, weighs in on the Florida Joker's demands for money from Rockstar Games.
This hasn’t stopped the Florida Joker from threatening to sue Rockstar over the recent Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer. In his latest TikTok video, Lawrence Sullivan says that he contacted his lawyer after supposedly giving Rockstar three days to respond to his claims that the developer stole his likeness and life story for its latest Grand Theft Auto game. He goes on to claim that he has been “harassed” since he first went public and that he and his lawyer are giving Rockstar 48 hours before filing legal action against the developer.
The Florida Joker also referred to Lindsey Lohan’s similar case against Rockstar regarding a character in Grand Theft Auto 5, which was ultimately dismissed in 2018. Sullivan claims that his complaints are different than Lohan's and that he actually has "hard evidence" that the tattooed inmate in the GTA 6 trailer is based on him. Others have been quick to point out the differences in the GTA 6 character’s tattoos, including the word “IMPERTINENT” across his forehead.
Due to both these differences and Rockstar’s experience with such legal matters, it’s unlikely that the Florida Joker will win any case against the developer over Grand Theft Auto 6. This isn’t stopping him from continuing his threats of legal action though, and it seems like he and his lawyer will be going forward with a lawsuit in the coming week. In the meantime, fans are eagerly awaiting Grand Theft Auto 6, which is currently set to launch sometime in 2025.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- November 19, 2026
- ESRB
- Rating Pending - Likely Mature 17+
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
WHERE TO PLAY
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.
Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.
- Franchise
- Grand Theft Auto
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
