Peaky Blinders makers condemn use of show's footage in US Presidential ad campaign

Oppenheimer actor Cillian Murphy is better known for his British crime drama Peaky Blinders. Murphy’s character Tommy Shelby is often referenced a lot in YouTube shorts and Instagram reels in various contexts. However, after a clip of the character was used in the presidential campaign of Ron DeSantis, the team behind Peaky Blinders has spoken out against him. 

3 things you need to know: 

• Peaky Blinders was first aired in September 2013. 
• Ron DeSantis is currently the governor of Florida and a member of the Republican Party.
• He is among the several candidates for the 2024 presidential elections in America. 

Peaky Blinders team says the show’s footage was used without consent 

Ron DeSantis’ campaign featured a video that was homophobic in nature, following which the team retorted with their statement. The statement read, “On behalf of the partners of Peaky Blinders…..we confirm the footage of Tommy Shelby’s character used within the video posted by Ron DeSantis’ campaign was obtained without permission or official licence.” Moreover, the team disapproved of the message and the use of the show’s programming in such a manner. See their post below. 

(A post made by the official page for Peaky Blinders)

DeSantis’ video champions him for his homophobia

The video in question was shared by the account ProudElephantUS, and was subsequently shared on DeSantis’ War Room account. It featured the slamming of Donald Trump for his vow to protect the LGBTQ citizens of the U.S. Amid the clips used in the film, bits from Peaky Blinders  remained consistent. However, a transition follows with Tyler, The Creator yelling, “Psych!” Tyler is an openly queer rapper. The video then gets invested in DeSantis’ own attacks against the LGBTQ+ community via his legislation. 

Peaky Blinders’ sudden association with DeSantis’ campaign occurred without any particular reason. The series is wildly popular and features a slew of other popular actors such as Tom Hardy, Paul Anderson and Sophie Rundle. It eventually won several accolades, including the National Television Awards, British Academy Television Awards, and more.