THE WHAT? John Boyega has stepped down as Global Brand Ambassador for Jo Malone London after The Estee Lauder Companies-owned perfume brand substituted him in the ad he conceived and starred in with local ambassador, Liu Haoran, for a version of the spot aimed at the Chinese market.

THE DETAILS Despite an apology issued by the brand, the Star Wars actor announced his decision on Twitter.

“We deeply apologise for what, on our end, was a mistake in the local execution of the John Boyega campaign,” the fragrance maker said in a statement.

The company’s eponymous founder, who sold the company to Lauder back in 1999 and exited in 2006 has distanced herself from the row, emphasizing on Twitter that she has ‘had no involvement in any capacity with Jo Malone London’.

THE WHY? “I have decided to step down as Jo Malone’s global ambassador,” the actor wrote on Twitter. “When I joined the brand as the first male global ambassador last year, I created the short film we used to launch the campaign. It won the Fragrance Foundation Virtual awards 2020 for Best Media Campaign.

“The decision to replace my campaign in China by using my concepts and substituting a local brand ambassador for me, without either my consent or prior notice, was wrong. The film celebrated my personal story – showcasing my hometown, including my friends and featuring my family.

“While many brands understandable use a variety of global and local ambassadors, dismissively trading our one’s culture this way is not something I can condone.”