Real-life 'Miami Joker' calls out Rockstar for apparent cameo in Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer

Rockstar released the highly anticipated first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 earlier this week, where it is currently sitting with a record-breaking 124 million views. The hype for this game is insane, and even though we have to wait until 2025 to play it (it won't be launching on PC), the in-game visuals seen in the trailer look next-level.

With the setting being modern-day Vice City, the GTA world's version of Florida, Derek has already posted a cool piece showcasing how several moments in the GTA 6 trailer are based on real-life Florida news stories. Be sure to check that out.

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The real-world Florida Joker or Miami Joker in Grand Theft Auto 6, image credit: Rockstar, Miami-Dade Corrections.

And now we can add Florida Joker or Miami Joker to the list, a real-world mugshot that went viral in 2017 showcasing a purple-haired man with several face tattoos. However, this time, the person behind the parody has responded. The Florida Joker is a real person, Lawrence Sullivan, and like everyone else, he's seen the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer.

Lawrence Sullivan posted a video response to TikTok (which you can see below) acknowledging that the person seen in the trailer was inspired by his infamous mugshot and look.

And he has a simple message for GTA 6 developer Rockstar.

"You know they got that character with the face tattoos, you know who they got that inspired by. By me, just look me up, Florida Joker, Miami Joker, you know what I'm talking about. GTA, we gotta talk."

Rockstar has always parodied the real-world and American culture with Grand Theft Auto, so it's not unusual for the game to feature references and nods to real-world events, people, and stories.

Odds are, when Grand Theft Auto 6 - Trailer 2 drops, we'll see more real-world Florida stories that have made their way into the game.

• Read more: GTA 6 to make $2.7 billion with 38 million sales, beat GTA 5 first-year earnings by $1 billion
• Read more: Grand Theft Auto 6 looks to be skipping PC at launch, will it arrive in 2026?
• Read more: GTA 6 trailer based on real-life Florida news stories