The collection is in collaboration with vegan sneaker brand Løci. It’s called “Nicki Minaj X Løci,” and consists of 11 styles of unisex shoes made from vegan leather. Many of the trainers are a shade of pink reminiscent of Barbie, a film that Minaj created music for.

Read more: ‘Sheer Nonsense’: Stella McCartney On Why Leather Is Not A Byproduct

According to Løci, the new line “blends street-cool aesthetics with high-fashion chic.” Writing on Instagram at the end of March, Minaj said the release was an “absolute dream come true.”

“I can’t WAIT for you guys to see my 1st collection,” she wrote. “Thank you to my team for helping me make this dream come to fruition. This isn’t a sponsorship. I’m an owner & partner.”

The collection is available to shop online now. Prices range from $185 to $200.

The rise of Løci

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Barbie (@nickiminaj)

Løci was founded in London on 2019, and has since become a hugely popular sneaker brand, with its designs being seen on celebrities including Mila Kunis, Jessica Alba, and Ben Affleck. 

Read more: Cillian Murphy Discusses His Decision To Go Plant-Based

The brand doesn’t use any animal leather, instead opting for materials like recycled bottles, recycled nylon and brass, as well as cork, bamboo, and a bio leather alternative. It’s thought that each pair of sneakers repurposes the equivalent of 20 plastic bottles. Løci’s shoes are made in Portugal, a country known for its craftsmanship and sustainability credentials. 

According to Løci, the brand has saved one million plastic bottles from being discarded. It also donates 10 percent of online profits to marine organizations like Sea Shepherd and SEE Turtles. 

Read more: Joaquin Phoenix Wore A Plant-Based Hat For ‘Napoleon’

In 2022, it was announced that Leonardo DiCaprio had invested in the brand. The actor said at the time that he was “proud” to invest in a company “dedicated to minimizing its environmental impact, and centered around creating cruelty-free, ethical footwear.”

The post Nicki Minaj Launches Range Of Barbie Pink Vegan Sneakers appeared first on Plant Based News.

Appearing on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast last year, Murphy told the host: “I’ve been trying the vegan thing.” He cited the benefits to his health and the environment as his primary motivators for eating plant-based.

While Murphy admitted “I miss cheese terribly,” he went on to say “I don’t miss the meat. I’ve been off the meat for a long time. I did have a kind of a relapse and I didn’t feel any better, so I’m back off it again.”

When asked by Maron if his reasoning is ethical or health-conscious, Murphy said “Both, now. In the beginning, there was loads of Mad Cow Disease and all that stuff happening. But I just think it’s better for the planet.” Veganism is a lifestyle choice against animal exploitation, and it’s not known if Murphy has moved entirely towards being vegan.

Born in the city of Cork, Ireland, Murphy has established himself as one of the most sought-after actors working in the film and television industry. His recurring role as Birmingham gangster Tommy Shelby in the series Peaky Blinders brought him international fame, almost a decade after his breakthrough role in the zombie horror 28 Days Later. His role as J. Robert Oppenheimer, which also garnered him BAFTA and Golden Globe awards, is his sixth collaboration with director Christopher Nolan, having also starred in Inception, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and Dunkirk. 

Cillian Murphy ditches meat

Prior to his plant-based announcement, Murphy was a long-term vegetarian. He made the switch to vegetarianism approximately 15 years ago, with the outbreak of Mad Cow Disease at the time prompting him to remove meat from his diet due to fears of zoonotic diseases. (Zoonotic diseases are heavily linked to animal agriculture – the swine flu outbreak of 2009 spread in pig farms, and there is growing concern about avian flu outbreaks affecting animals in farms around the world.)

When commencing filming for Peaky Blinders, Murphy began incorporating meat back into his diet at the recommendation of his trainer at the time. “They were anxious that I shouldn’t look like a skinny Irish fella, and my trainer recommended meat,” he said in an interview with Mr Porter.

While the notion from his trainer that Murphy needed to eat meat to build his physique for the role of Tommy Shelby is still commonly held, this is a very common misunderstanding around the vegan diet and health. A well-planned plant-based diet provides all the protein requirements for a regular person or a bodybuilder’s needs. There are many professional bodybuilders and athletes who thrive on a plant-based diet.

More like this:

• Joaquin Phoenix Wore A Plant-Based Hat For ‘Napoleon’
• Is Lewis Hamilton Vegan? A History Of His Animal Advocacy
• Is Natalie Portman Vegan? Everything She’s Said About The Movement 

The post Cillian Murphy Discusses His Decision To Go Plant-Based appeared first on Plant Based News.

At a glitzy ceremony at Royal Festival Hall in London, McKenna-Bruce won the EE Rising Star Award for her representation of Tara in the movie How to Have Sex (2023).

The 26-year-old from Kent has been vegan for seven years.

McKenna-Bruce told Plant Based News (PBN): “I’m still in total shock, I don’t think there will ever be words to describe how grateful I am to BAFTA and everyone who voted.”

The award

How to Have Sex was directed by Molly Manning Walker. The film follows three teenage friends on a holiday in Malia, Crete, and it explores the topic of sexual consent.

Other nominees for the Rising Star Award were Ayo Edebiri, Sophie Wilde, Jacob Elordi, and Phoebe Dynevor.

At the star-studded ceremony, other BAFTA winners included Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, and Robert Downey Jr for their contributions to Oppenheimer.

McKenna-Bruce described her win as a “dream come true to be surrounded by so many people in the industry that I’ve looked up to for years.”

McKenna-Bruce’s veganism

McKenna-Bruce joins a long list of influential vegan actors.

Natalie Portman, Bella Ramsey, Sadie Sink, Evanna Lynch, Elliot Page, and Joaquin Phoenix are just a few examples of high-profile vegan actors. Last year, Phoenix wore a plant-based hat in film Napoleon.

“I’ve definitely seen it get easier on set being vegan,” McKenna-Bruce told PBN. “In the early days it would sometimes just be a lettuce sandwich for lunch, which isn’t ideal on a 12 hour day!

“Now it’s mostly pretty good, especially when filming in the UK.”

More like this:

• Vegan Commercial To Air Before New ‘Wonka’ Movie
• Billie Eilish And Finneas Are Opening A Vegan Restaurant
• Evanna Lynch Goes Undercover In Chicken Factory Farm

The post Vegan Actor Mia McKenna-Bruce Wins BAFTA appeared first on Plant Based News.

The commercial from Eat Differently will be shown before the new Wonka film in 1,800 movie theaters. Directed by BAFTA winner Alex Lockwood, it encourages people to adopt a plant-based diet.

Vegan Wonka commercial

Wonka is a much-hyped prequel to the 1971 classic film starring Gene Wilder. It has an all-star cast, including Hugh Grant and Olivia Colman. 

The prequel is a musical origin myth for Willy Wonka, the flamboyant factory owner created by Roald Dahl in 1964.

In the new film, Wonka (played by Timothée Chalamet) puts a new spin on the iconic “Pure Imagination” song. Building on that theme, the commercial asks viewers to imagine a world where people eat plants not animals.

Change the world

According to Eat Differently, the film “mirrors the belief that we are all the dreamers of dreams and every one of us can make a difference.”

For Lockwood, Wonka was therefore the ideal choice for the big screen’s first vegan commercial.

The ad’s theme, Lockwood says, is “how artists can, and do, change the world.” To reinforce that point, it brings together people from music, film, and art who are making a difference for animals and the planet.

Famous vegans seen in the commercial include Billie Eilish and Joaquin Phoenix.

Don’t forget the vegan chocolates

For Wonka fans heading to watch the film, there are an abundance of vegan chocolates to choose from.

Popular brand Vego recently launched its creamy hazelnut-based chocolate in the US. You can also get a vegan version of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and a vegan milk chocolate bar from Mars.

The vegan chocolate market is now expected to grow faster than dairy, experts have predicted.

You can watch the commercial below:

More like this:

• Billie Eilish And Finneas Are Opening A Vegan Restaurant
• Vegan Chocolate Market To Grow Faster Than Dairy, Experts Predict
• Denmark Unveils ‘Groundbreaking’ Plant-Based Food Roadmap

The post Vegan Commercial To Air Before New ‘Wonka’ Movie appeared first on Plant Based News.

Twenty-three years after the original movie came out, Chicken Run 2: Dawn of the Nuggets will take viewers inside a horrifying intensive chicken farm. When Molly, the daughter of beloved original characters Ginger and Rocky, is captured and taken to a factory farm, our heroes have to take daring action to rescue her and the other chickens before they’re turned into nuggets.

“I’ve never seen a cartoon like this,” Matthew Glover, founder of Veganuary, told the Guardian, amid speculation the film would turn many viewers vegan. Richard McIlwain, CEO of the UK Vegetarian Society pointed out that whatever the film’s intended message, it does depict the reality of chicken factory farming. “They’re not making it up,” he said.

The power of films that center animals

Several films have previously been credited causing a subsequent surge in people giving up meat. Babe, released in 1995, reportedly led to the a notable rise in people becoming vegetarian. It also turned its star, James Cromwell, from vegetarian to vegan, and he has become well-known for his vegan advocacy.

The 2017 film Okja, about a girl befriending a genetically-engineered giant pig bound for slaughter, made Jon Ronson, the film’s co-writer, go vegetarian. He said he remembers “loads of people tweeting that they were never eating meat again.”

It’s not just fictional movies that have the power to make people appreciate the individuality and value of animals. The documentary My Octopus Teacher has helped boost public concern over a proposed octopus farm. Another documentary, Seaspiracy, caused a spike in Google searches for “vegan seafood”.

Cast and crew ditch meat

During production of the stop-motion animated film, Chicken Run 2 director Sam Fell stopped eating meat. “The chickens are the heroes, so I put myself in a chicken’s point of view,’ he has said of making the film.

Thandiwe Newton, who replaces voice actor Julia Sawalha as Ginger, has been a vegan for years. Game of Thrones alumnus Bella Ramsey, who voices Molly, is also vegan and has used social media to advocate for veganism.

Jane Horrocks, who starred in the original Chicken Run and returns in the sequel as Babs, voiced Tessa the Turkey in PETA’s new Christmas ad this year. Comedian Romesh Ranganathan, replacing Timothy Spall as the voice of Nick, is another vegan cast member.

Vegan nuggets

Despite ditching meat himself, Fell said the film isn’t trying to convert people and is circumspect about its power to do so. “People love eating nuggets it seems, so I don’t think everyone’s going to suddenly stop,” he told Metro.

But for those who can’t stomach a nugget made from chickens after seeing the film, there are plenty of vegan options. And they’re becoming so realistic that they can make chicken nuggets seem pointless.

Burger King UK sells vegans nuggets, while McDonald’s has launched plant-based McNuggets across its restaurants in Germany.

Brands including Quorn, Fry’s, and Squeaky Bean all make vegan nuggets, available at various supermarkets.

More like this:

• ‘It’ll Never Catch On’: New Film Tells Story Of Veganuary’s First Decade
• ‘So Much More Efficient’: David Attenborough Promotes Plant-Based Diets
• Bird Flu Has Reached Antarctica – Is Your Diet Killing Penguins?

The post ‘I’ve Never Seen A Cartoon Like This’: Could ‘Chicken Run 2’ Turn Viewers Vegan? appeared first on Plant Based News.

A post on Zephaniah’s official Instagram account said he was diagnosed with a brain tumor eight weeks ago. His wife was with him throughout his short illness and by his side when he passed, according to the post.

A vegan since he was a teenager, Zephaniah was a vocal advocate for animal rights. Recently, he condemned the UK’s badger cull and made a music video encouraging people to go vegan.

In December 2022, he wrote in The Guardian: “I am vegan because I love animals.” In the same article he said his New Year’s Resolution was to stop saying he didn’t eat meat and tell people he didn’t eat animals.

He was an honorary patron of The Vegan Society, Viva!, and EVOLVE! Campaigns. In 2007, he launched the Animal Liberation Project with PETA. Zephaniah published The Little Book of Vegan Poems in 2001.

Zephaniah wrote more than a dozen books of poetry as well as several novels, children’s books, and plays. 

But his creative talents didn’t stop with the written word. He acted in a number of film and television productions and released several albums. He also collaborated musically with artists including Sinead O’Connor and British house duo Swayzak. 

As well as his animal rights advocacy, Zephaniah was known for a great deal of other activism. He spoke out against homophobia in Jamaica, where his mother was from. His experiences of racism featured in his writing and he collaborated with anti-racist group Newham Monitoring Project. 

The post Poet And Vegan Advocate Benjamin Zephaniah Dies Aged 65 appeared first on Plant Based News.

The historical epic movie, based on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, has grossed USD $36.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $47.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $83.7 million. 

Phoenix stars as the titular Napoleon Bonaparte, and the biopic charts his rise to power as French emperor and military commander, as well as his tempestuous relationship with Empress Joséphine, portrayed by Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, Mission: Impossible — Fallout). Directed by Ridley Scott, the film is currently in cinemas before it moves to Apple TV+. 

Phoenix consulted with costume designer David Crossman on the issue of the bicorn hat, one of the most iconic parts of Napoleon’s famed regal dress. A specialist in military clothing, Crossman said he had a “mini panic” about the hats in an interview with the New York Times, which were made from wool. One of Napoleon Bonaparte’s original felt wool recently sold in a French auction for $2.1 million. “I just felt it’s going to be a problem of what to make the iconic hat out of because it’s going to be all about the hat,” Crossman said, knowing Phoenix doesn’t wear any animal products as part of his vegan lifestyle. 

Finding a vegan solution

He managed to source a solution, however: they constructed the large and opulent hats from a fabric that uses tree bark originating in Uganda, meaning the hats were completely animal and cruelty-free.

“I thought, ‘oh good, we’re out of trouble,’” Crossman said. “I was just so worried it was going to be some polyester synthetic thing. But it gave us a lot of lovely surface texture on the hat.”

Click here to read why vegan’s don’t wear wool and the cruelty involved in the industry.

Joaquin Phoenix’s vegan advocacy

Phoenix went vegan at the age of three — he and his family witnessed fish being thrown against the side of a boat and stunned, which prompted the entire Phoenix family to become vegan. As his fame and acting career has grown following performances in Gladiator and Walk The Line, he has increasingly used his platform for animal rights activism. 

He is the narrator in the animal rights documentaries Earthlings and Dominion and he used his Best Actor speech at the Oscars (for his lead performance in Joker) to speak about the abuse of cows in the dairy industry, and its impact on the environment. The day after his Oscar win, he rescued a cow and her calf from a farm in California in partnership with Farm Sanctuary. His partner, actor Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Carol) is also vegan, and the pair have been spotted at protests outside slaughterhouses in the US as animals arrive in trucks, among other animal rights activism around the country. 

Horse riding controversy

Despite Phoenix’s work with the filmmakers to ensure he would not wear any wool, leather, or other animal products in Napoleon, his role in the film still caused some controversy and backlash among the animal rights community, as he was required to ride horses during filming.

Besides the fact vegans avoid horse riding for ethical reasons, this has caused further surprise as Phoenix spoke of his regret about riding horses for the 2018 film The Sister Brothers. He said at the time: 

“I didn’t like riding horses. I regretted having to ride. I’m a little clueless because I don’t think that I thought about it that much until I was there and realized, ‘Oh, it’s a Western, and we’re on horses a lot.’ I hadn’t considered that. I felt bad about riding them. I had the feeling that they were like, ‘I don’t really want you on my back.’”

Animal rights group PETA holds the position that horses are “historically among the animals most commonly injured and killed when exploited for entertainment.” A recent high-profile case saw a horse die from cardiac arrest while pulling a carriage for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. 

Phoenix has not publicly commented on the horse riding in Napoleon.

More like this:

• Jodie Marsh Sparks Controversy With Meat-Eater ‘Serial Killer’ Comment
• Queen Latifah Takes Aim At ‘Milk Shaming’ In Dairy-Funded Advert
• Is Natalie Portman Vegan? Everything She’s Said About The Movement

The post Joaquin Phoenix Wore A Plant-Based Hat For ‘Napoleon’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

In a picture posted on Instagram, Marsh wore a jumper that appeared to compare people who consume meat to Jeffrey Dahmer, a notorious serial killer.

The jumper had the slogan: “I don’t eat dead bodies, but you crack on Jeffrey Dahmer.”

Jeffrey Dahmer was a notorious American serial killer, known as the Milwaukee Cannibal. Between 1978 and 1991, he murdered 17 men.

As reported by The Sun, Marsh replied to social media comments criticizing her choice of jumper. She wrote: “All meat eaters are paying someone else to repeatedly murder for them. So indirectly yes I guess they are all serial killers.”

She went on to state that the jumper is “not meant to offend anyone,” adding: “If it does offend though then that’s good as maybe it makes people think about what they’re putting in their mouths.”

Animal agriculture involves forcibly impregnating, raising, and slaughtering billions of sentient beings each year.

Jodie Marsh’s vegan activism

Jodie Marsh is a vocal critic of animal agriculture. She regularly posts pro-vegan messages to her 453,000 followers.

She has also previously joined with animal organizations to promote anti-animal cruelty campaigns, including posing naked for PETA.

Marsh opened an animal sanctuary named Fripps Farm in 2020. It is currently home to over 250 animals, many of whom have been saved from slaughter.

The aim of Fripps Farm is to “give animals the best possible life, catering for all their needs and also to give them the love that they need.”

Shining a light on unseen suffering

Commenting on the post, some meat-eaters voiced their anger at Marsh for her choice of jumper.

“I couldn’t care less what people choose to eat or not eat! What grinds my gears is vegans constantly shoving their beliefs down people’s throats,” wrote one.

For the animals that are victims of farming, however, there is no choice. Animal suffering on farms and in slaughterhouses mostly happens behind closed doors well out of sight of consumers.

Marsh’s provocative jumper is an example of fashion activism. As a model and influencer, she uses her fashion choices to bring awareness to unseen suffering of animals.

Effective communication

Marsh’s post has been divisive. Many vegans would point out that she is technically correct. By consuming meat, you are indirectly funding the slaughter of multiple animals. Some may argue, however, that labelling meat-eaters in this way is not “effective communication” when discussing the issue.

Dr Melanie Joy is one expert who has discussed the importance of effective communication in veganism. It refers to the idea that discussions around eating meat should revolve around empathy and respect, and language should be clear, non-violent, and non-judgmental. “Whether we believe in something or not, is not the issue,” Dr Joy previously said. “The issue is what works. You can be right in a sense morally, but you may not be right strategically. The animals don’t need us to be morally perfectionistic; they need us to be effective”​​.

More like this:

• ‘We’re Not Living In The Dark Ages’: Alan Cumming Urges Public To Go Vegan
• Billie Eilish And Finneas Are Opening A Vegan Restaurant
• Kourtney Kardashian Threw A Vegan Thanksgiving For Travis Barker – Here’s What They Ate

The post Jodie Marsh Sparks Controversy With Meat-Eater ‘Serial Killer’ Comment appeared first on Plant Based News.

The new restaurant will be located in the Silver Lake neighborhood of LA. It will take the space of Little Pine, a vegan restaurant founded by Moby in 2015, which closed last year.

The sibling pair already collaborate to produce and write most of Eilish’s songs. Now, they have teamed up with vegan restaurateur Nic Adler to move into the restaurant business.

“Vegan is for everyone,” Eilish said. “You don’t have to be vegan to eat vegan. The world is so much better than it was.”

An A-List collaboration

Adler is the co-founder of Monty’s Good Burger, a vegan fast-food chain with four California locations. He is also behind popular plant-based restaurant Nic’s On Beverley on LA’s Beverly Boulevard.

His latest project, Argento, is due to open in summer 2024.

What food will Argento serve?

The new Los Angeles restaurant will have an Italian-style.

The Mediterranean-inspired menu will be “vegetable-forward,” focussing on fresh, plant-based flavors. Stepping away from the fast-food theme, Argento will put vegetables ahead of processed plant-based meat alternatives.

Billie Eilish promotes veganism

Moving into the restaurant business is the latest example of Billie Eilish’s vegan advocacy. Vegan since the age of 12, Eilish regularly posts about plant-based living. 

She has paired with a number of brands to promote cruelty-free products, including a vegan leather bag from Gucci.
She has also been outspoken about the climate crisis. Last year, she joined a climate campaign to urge people to go vegan.

More like this:

• Kourtney Kardashian Threw A Vegan Thanksgiving For Travis Barker – Here’s What They Ate
• Queen Latifah Takes Aim At ‘Milk Shaming’ In Dairy-Funded Advert
• Lewis Hamilton’s Neat Burger To Close Half Of UK Restaurants

The post Billie Eilish And Finneas Are Opening A Vegan Restaurant appeared first on Plant Based News.

Paid for by the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), the satirical ad claims that “dairy deniers all over America are subjecting them to milk shaming.”

The marketing campaign comes with the slogan “Ok2Milk.” In the advert, Queen Latifah narrates a series of scenarios where people have supposedly been shamed for their decision to drink milk.

The ad follows the pattern of similar celebrity endorsements for dairy. Earlier this year, Aubrey Plaza’s Wood Milk advert – which made fun of plant-based milks – was widely criticized.

Queen Latifah promotes milk

In Queen Latifah’s advert, we hear the story of a man whose date apparently left a restaurant when he ordered milk.

This is followed by a baseball mom upset to be judged by the other moms for handing out choco milk. Finally, a man running for city council describes how he was smeared in the press for chugging milk at a frat party in his college days.

“So next time you’re about to shame someone for drinking milk, think about them,” Queen Latifah advises.

Big Dairy trying to remain relevant

The campaign to paint dairy drinkers as victims comes amid a turning tide in consumer beliefs. Surveys have shown that more and more US consumers are choosing plant-based milks. Younger consumers are more likely to avoid dairy milk due to ethical and environmental concerns. Dairy milk consumption is down 20 percent among Gen Z compared to the national average.

Faced with the falling popularity of dairy and rise of plant-based milks, MilkPEP seems to be trying to reach a younger consumer base through celebrity endorsements.

Queen Latifah – whose real name is Dana Elaine Owens – is a Grammy and Emmy award-winning musician and actress. She has a large social media following, with more than 7.5 million Instagram followers.

Winston Binch, chief brand and experience officer for GALE, the creative agency commissioned by MilkPEP to create the advert, explained that Queen Latifah was the “perfect fit,” according to online publication Muse by Clio. He added that MilkPEP was committed to featuring only women in their marketing. 

Dairy dollars keep coming

The dairy lobby has long been prepared to spend big to ensure continued sales. Collectively, the dairy industry donated a reported $5.1 million to members of congress during the 2020 election cycle.

Federal subsidies and advertising have long promoted dairy as a necessary part of Americans’ diet for decades. This is despite research showing the negative health risks related to dairy, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The latest series of high-profile celebrity adverts appears to be the newest way the dairy lobby is trying to retain its influence. As with the Wood Milk advert, the Milk Shaming campaign comes with a website and hotline. “If you’ve been a victim of milk shaming, call the number on your screen,” Queen Latifah says.

Is milk shaming real?

In the FAQs section of the website, MilkPep defines “milk shaming” as a “ridiculous reaction to someone enjoying a beloved drink.”

It adds: “92% of American households consume dairy milk, yet milk drinkers are being made to feel embarrassed, shamed and disgraced simply for their loving some dairy milk! That may seem weird or silly, but sadly it’s actually true.”

The true victims of dairy farming

Behind the glitzy front of celebrity sponsorships, the production of milk has long been criticized for its cruelty. 

In order to produce milk, each cow must first give birth. Their calf will be taken from them within just a few hours, and cows will often bellow and cry out for their young for days afterwards. If the calf is female, they will likely be raised for dairy. If they are male, they may be killed or sold to the veal industry.

Cows have been selectively bred to produce far more milk than they naturally would, which takes a huge toll on their bodies. Conditions like lameness and mastitis are common on dairy farms. When they stop producing enough milk, cows will be sent to the slaughterhouse.

Plant-based milk alternatives skip the suffering

For consumers looking to avoid the harmful impacts of dairy milk, a wide range of plant-based alternatives exist. From oat and pea, to soy and potato, there are dozens of vegan milk varieties.

More like this:

• Humans ‘Milked’ Outside Tate Modern in Dairy Protest
• Vegan Cheese: What Is It, What’s It Made Of, And Where Can You Buy It?
• Flora Removes Dairy From ‘Buttery’ Spread, Making Entire Range Vegan

The post Queen Latifah Takes Aim At ‘Milk Shaming’ In Dairy-Funded Advert appeared first on Plant Based News.

Hamilton was born in January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, in the UK. His interest in cars stems back to childhood, when his father bought him a radio-controlled car when he was five years old. He was given a go-kart the following year, and very quickly began winning races and cadet class championships. 

The star has spoken regularly about the importance of diet and lifestyle in regards to animal welfare and the environment. Here’s everything you need to know about his vegan journey. 

Is Lewis Hamilton vegan?

Hamilton is indeed vegan, and it’s thought that he adopted the lifestyle back in 2017 after learning about the reality of animal agriculture from a vegan friend he met in New York. Later that year, he opened up about his reasoning to the BBC. 

“The human race, what we are doing to the world … the pollution coming from the amount of cows that are being produced is incredible. The cruelty is horrible and I don’t necessarily want to support that and I want to live a healthier life.”

According to Vanity Fair, doctors told Hamilton that he wouldn’t be able to get enough protein to support his career on a plant-based diet. Many people believe that protein is hard to come by in vegan food – this is despite the fact that many athletes abstain from animal products. 

Hamilton’s experience was wildly different to doctors’ predictions, however. “I’ve won five world titles since then,” he said. “I’ve been more consistent than I ever was in the past. So it just takes proving people wrong. And that’s what I did.”

Lewis Hamilton’s animal advocacy

Hamilton has regularly used social media to raise awareness about animal issues. He previously told his followers that “Every bit of meat, chicken, or fish you eat, every bit of leather or fur you wear, has come from an animal that has been tortured, pulled away from their families and brutally killed.”

In 2019, he spoke out about the cruelty of whale hunting in the Faroe Islands, a “tradition” that dates back around 1,000 years. “How are any of these humans just standing there thinking this is ok,” he wrote alongside a video of the practice. “This is not in anyway shape or form ok. This is disgusting and Denmark, you need to put a stop to this!”

In the same year, he shared a graphic video of the reality of the leather industry, which sees cows killed so their skin can be used in coats, bags, and other fashion items. “Woke up feeling good today but this has just broke my spirit. This is so graphic, so barbaric,” he wrote. Hamilton has previously urged his employer, Mercedes, to ditch leather and move towards a vegan alternative. 

Hamilton was listed as an executive producer on the hit Netflix documentary The Game Changers. The film explores the health benefits of a vegan diet, with a particular focus on men and athletes. He also has a vegan dog, named Roscoe, and has publicly endorsed the benefits of feeding dogs plant-based diets. “Since [Roscoe] has gone vegan, his coat is much softer, his swollen paws have healed up, he is no longer limping with the pain of arthritis and his breathing has opened up. Super happy with the result and he is too,” he said.

Lewis Hamilton PETA controversy

Hamilton has worked with PETA, and has also been praised by the organization many times for his activism. In late 2022, however, the star hit headlines after he was slammed by the charity for what it described as a failure to speak out about dog cruelty perpetrated by Formula 1’s parent company, Liberty Media.

The company sponsored the Iditarod, which is a 1,000-mile race in Alaska in which over 150 dogs have reportedly died. The competition sees animals forced to pull sleds through some of the most extreme weather conditions on the planet.

PETA president Ingrid Newkirk wrote a letter to Hamilton, which stated: “We know you do care about dogs, so please don’t continue to stand idly by as animals continue to suffer or your silence will be taken as complicity. A word from you could save dogs every bit as precious as your Roscoe.”

In 2023, Hamilton was confronted by a PETA activist during an appearance alongside the Toto Wolff, the CEO of Mercedes, at the Forbes Iconoclast Summit. The activist held up a sign saying: “Iditarod 150+ Dead Dogs And Counting.”

“Lewis, I love you and respect you, and I know that your companionship with your dog demonstrates the love you have for animals,” the activist said.

“I beg you, please. We are begging you, please. We know that you don’t want dogs to suffer. The Iditarod does that. The Iditarod has a long-standing history, long and tragic history.”

Lewis Hamilton and Neat Burger

In 2019, it was announced that Hamilton had invested in a vegan fast food restaurant called Neat Burger. The UK-based company is thought to be the first international burger chain, and it’s also been backed by Leonardo DiCaprio. At the time of writing, there are a number of branches in London, as well as one in NYC, and one in Dubai. Bosses are also said to be eyeing up further locations in Italy and the Middle East. 

“The response to Neat Burger since we opened has been incredible,” Hamilton previously said in a press statement. “I’m really proud of the boundaries we have been able to push in this space, and the plans for expansion are really exciting.”

More like this:

• Is Ryan Gosling Vegan? A History Of His Animal Advocacy
• Is Natalie Portman Vegan? Everything She’s Said About The Movement
• A History Of Pamela Anderson’s Animal Activism

The post Is Lewis Hamilton Vegan? A History Of His Animal Advocacy appeared first on Plant Based News.

Gosling has a long standing career dating back to the 1980s. He became known for being a child star on Disney Channel’s The Mickey Mouse Club in 1993, before going on to appear in kids’ TV shows like Goosebumps and Are You Afraid Of The Dark?. Now, Gosling is probably most famous for his roles in hit films like The Notebook, La La Land, and The Big Short. 

The actor is known for keeping his personal life private, and he’s never stated what diet he follows. He has, however, regularly spoken out for animals over the years. Animal rights group PETA even went so far as to describe Gosling as the organization’s “hero” back in 2011.

Is Ryan Gosling vegan?

Gosling has never publicly confirmed whether he eats a plant-based diet or follows a vegan lifestyle, and it isn’t thought that he completely omits animal products from his diet.

In 2015, Gosling’s wife and fellow actor Eva Mendes confirmed to Women’s Health that she didn’t eat meat, stating: “I don’t agree with factory farming here.” She added that abstaining from meat improved her health, saying: “My skin looked brighter and healthier overall.” It’s possible, therefore, that Gosling follows a mostly meat-free diet alongside his family, but there is no confirmation of this.

In 2022, Gosling said the “one dish he’d eat for the rest of his life” was “Eva’s mom’s Arroz con leche.” He said that this dish is like “an angel crying on your tongue.”

Arroz con leche – also known as Mexican rice pudding – is a sweet dish that’s often made with rice, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and raisins. This therefore indicates that Gosling may eat dairy, though it’s not clear what the ingredients of Mendes’ mom’s version is. Water or coconut milk can also be used, meaning the dish can be suitable for plant-based diets.

Ryan Gosling’s animal advocacy

While we don’t know if Gosling is vegetarian or plant-based, he has regularly publicly spoken out for animals over the years. 

In 2003, he wrote to KFC Canada on behalf of animal rights organization PETA to urge the brand to improve the welfare of the chickens it slaughters. “I understand that the chickens raised for your restaurants live their entire lives crammed into dark sheds with countless other birds and that each bird lives on an amount of floor space roughly the size of a sheet of paper,” he wrote in a letter. “I was also surprised to learn that chickens from KFC suppliers routinely suffer broken bones from callous handling when workers grab them by their legs and stuff them into crates for transportation.”

He then described himself as an “advocate for the humane treatment of animals, before urging the company to implement “basic animal welfare standards.” 

Dairy and eggs

Gosling has also called out the dairy and egg industries, indicating that his disproval of animal products extends further than just meat.

In 2013, he once again teamed up with PETA to urge the dairy industry to stop dehorning cows, a process that has long been believed to be cruel. Dehorning involves removing the horns from calves, often without pain relief. Workers often burn away the horn tissue with hot irons or chemicals, or they may hack or gouge them out. “There is absolutely no reason – and no excuse – for the cruel, unnecessary practice of dehorning to continue,” Gosling said. “Please do the right thing and take action today.”

In 2015, the actor penned a letter to Costco urging the brand to stop selling eggs from caged hens. “I am writing today about the recent undercover investigation conducted by my friends at The Humane Society of the United States at a Costco egg supplier,” he wrote. “Video footage revealed abhorrent cruelty including rows upon rows of birds confined in filth-laden cages with the mummified corpses of their cage-mates – eating, sleeping, defecating, and laying eggs on top of dead birds – and hens’ wings, legs, and necks trapped in the corroded wires of their battery cages.”

Ryan Gosling calls for legal protection for animals

Gosling also called on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve legal chicken welfare standards in the US back in 2011. 

Specifically, he was calling on the government body to outlaw foam-based slaughter for chickens. The foam method is widely believed to be inhumane, and involves suffocating birds by submerging them in foam. It can take around 15 minutes to die, and animal groups have likened the suffering to that of being buried alive or strangled. “If dogs and cats were killed in this way, the person committing these acts would be charged with cruelty to animals,” Gosling wrote. 

Ryan Gosling promotes vegan fashion

Gosling is seen wearing a fur coat in the Barbie film, and the actor confirmed in an interview that it was made with cruelty-free faux fur. His character is also seen sporting a pair of red boots reportedly made from vegan leather. 

Soon after the film was released, PETA released a statement praising the actor for donning animal-free clothing. “From his fabulous faux mink coat to his rad vegan leather boots, Ken serves looks that mirror actor Ryan Gosling’s own kindness to animals and refusal to wear fur,” said PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange.

His Barbie role isn’t the first time Gosling has been spotted in vegan fashion on screen. He starred in Blade Runner 2049 back in 2017, in which he reportedly wore a coat made from vegan shearling. Shearling is the skin and wool of a sheep or lamb, and is often used to make clothing. It’s thought that Gosling’s coat was animal-free, however. 

More like this:

• A History Of Pamela Anderson’s Animal Activism
• Is Natalie Portman Vegan? Everything She’s Said About The Movement
• Is Joaquin Phoenix Vegan? A History Of His Animal Activism

The post Is Ryan Gosling Vegan? A History Of His Animal Advocacy appeared first on Plant Based News.

The actor, who is known for her roles in films like Black Swan and Thor, has for years promoted the benefits of a plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle. While her activism may not be as public as that of some celebrities, like Pamela Anderson and Joaquin Phoenix, she has nevertheless publicly advocated against the animal-based food system on numerous occasions. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Natalie Portman’s vegan journey, as well as her animal advocacy. 

When did Natalie Portman go vegan?

Portman went vegetarian at the age of nine, before turning to veganism in 2011 after reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2009 book Eating Animals. The book is written on the premise that Foer is trying to decide whether to feed his son animal products. He then goes on a journey to explore the huge ramifications that our decision to eat meat has on animals, the planet, and ourselves. It mostly focuses on the cruelty of industrial farming, but it also considers the environmental and health costs of animal product production and consumption. 

The book has been praised for helping many people turn vegan. Portman had been friends with Foer since meeting him at a book reading as a Harvard University student in 2002. After she finished reading Eating Animals, she called him up and told him it could work as a documentary. The documentary was released in 2019, and Portman co-narrated it with Foer.  

“I think the family part of it was really meaningful to me,” Portman told LA Times in 2018. “I think I was pregnant when I read it, so Jonathan asking himself ‘What do I feed my children?’ really impacted me, because I was going through the same thing. I want to impart my values to my kid, but what’s healthy for them? What helps them?”

What has Natalie Portman said about veganism?

Portman has regularly discussed veganism and animal rights on public platforms. During a speech to 16,000 students in Los Angeles for WE Day, a celebration of youth activists, she said: “Only after I became active in women’s issues did I realize that my veganism was related to those very issues. Dairy and eggs don’t just come from cows and chickens, they come from female cows and female chickens. We’re exploiting female bodies and abusing the magic of female animals to create eggs and milk.”

Portman is referring to the fact that only female cows and hens are of use to the dairy and egg industries. “Dairy cows” are mothers who are forcibly impregnated before having their babies taken from them so humans can take the milk. Hens have been selectively bred to lay around 300 eggs a year (naturally this number would be around 12). This takes a huge toll on their bodies, and they often suffer from broken bones due to calcium deficiency. 

She also urged people not to feel shame about their veganism in a non-vegan world. “So now lots of people make fun of vegans, right?,” she said. “Lots of people make fun of anybody who cares about anything deeply, right? But I’m here to say, it is always a great thing to care … whether it’s environmental issues, animal rights, women’s rights, equality, never be afraid to show how much you care.”

Portman has also discussed the importance of veganism in terms of the environment. Animal agriculture is one of, if not the most, environmentally destructive industries there is. It contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, as well as deforestation and biodiversity loss. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter in 2023, Portman said: “My veganism is in large part an environmental choice, along with animal welfare. I haven’t bought or used any leather or fur or animal products in 20 years.”

Are Natalie Portman’s husband and kids vegan?

Portman has spoken publicly about her decision to raise her kids on a plant-based diet. She is mother to Aleph, 12, and Amalia, six, who she shares with her ballet dancer husband Benjamin Millepied.

Speaking to US Weekly about raising her kids meat-free, she said: “It comes really naturally because I think, you know, you tend to make one thing that everyone eats for dinner. We tend to eat vegan and vegetarian food in the house. It becomes like the normal stuff that kids get used to.”

Portman’s husband isn’t vegan, and this sometimes leads Aleph to question why he’s eating different foods. “There had been conversations because my husband is not vegan, and so my son has asked, ‘Why do you eat that and mommy doesn’t?’ And I talked to him about it, and it’s really changed. I think it’s very natural for children to relate to the stuff.”

She also said that she doesn’t try and persuade her husband to go vegan, stating: “I think that you always want to be respectful of other people’s choices. I don’t want anyone to ever give me a hard time about my choices. And of course, living together, you end up influencing each other too. So I think he’s certainly become more conscious of where his food comes from.”

More like this:

• Is Leonardo DiCaprio Vegan? Here’s What We Know
• Is Woody Harrelson Vegan? Everything He’s Said About The Lifestyle
• Is Ricky Gervais Vegan?
  

—

If you purchase something through a link on our site, Plant Based News may earn a commission. This helps us to provide our free services to millions of people each week.

The post Is Natalie Portman Vegan? Everything She’s Said About The Movement appeared first on Plant Based News.

The Spy Kids and Eyes Wide Shut star, 58, posed with just a lettuce at New York City vegan restaurant Ladybird. Cumming, who hails from Scotland in the UK, later joked: “I think it’s the first time I’ve been naked in an East Village restaurant.”

The campaign features the words “I am the vegan option,” alongside messaging urging the public to “join me.” It’s currently being displayed on taxicabs around NYC.

In a video for the new advert, Cumming said: “If someone is questioning being vegan, I would say to them, ‘Don’t be ridiculous – just do it. It’s much, much easier than you think. We’re not living in the dark ages anymore. You can totally function.’”

Alan Cumming’s vegan advocacy 

Cumming has been vegan since 2012, and has a long history of animal advocacy. In 2018, he leant his support to a PETA anti-dairy campaign. Donning a t-shirt with the words “Not a Dairy Queen” (in reference to the US ice cream chain), he urged the public to rethink their consumption of milk and cheese. His image appeared on flyers, which were handed out at Pride events in the UK.

Earlier this year, he, alongside Succession star Brian Cox, signed Compassion In World Farming’s Vision for Fair Food and Farming. The vision outlined plans to achieve achieve farming policies that “respect and protect the interests of people, animals, and the planet.”

“There is something wrong with our world when millions of people go hungry every day, yet there is more than enough food to go round,” he said in a statement at the time. “Our food and farming systems are harmful to our health, that of the planet and are the cause of enormous animal cruelty.”

Cumming has also previously urged the United Nations Climate Change Conferences to serve plant-based food. The COP summits have repeatedly sparked backlash for offering guests environmentally damaging animal products. Ahead of the 2021 event in Glasgow, he said serving meat was “irresponsible,” and likened it to “serving beer at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.”

“If the goal of COP26 is to protect the planet – as well as promote compassionate, responsible behavior – animal-derived foods have no place on the menu,” he said at the time. 

Celebrity PETA campaigns

Cumming is one of a number of high profile celebrities to star in campaigns for PETA. The animal organization has long recruited famous faces for its shoots, and celebrities often appear without clothes in these. 

In January of this year, vegan actor Alicia Silverstone posed naked to highlight the cruelty of leather. “I never, ever get naked in TV, in film, nothing, but I’ve done it for PETA because that’s how much it matters to me,” she said at the time. “If it takes me getting naked for you to care about animals then that is what I’m after.”

The post ‘We’re Not Living In The Dark Ages’: Alan Cumming Urges Public To Go Vegan appeared first on Plant Based News.

The Academy Award-winning actor, known for his roles in films like Walk the Line and Joker, is almost as well known for his animal advocacy as he is for his movie career. He regularly uses his platform to stand up for non-human animals, and takes part in a great deal of activism. 

Phoenix has been an actor since childhood, starring in his first TV role in 1982 when he was eight years old. He had a small role in a Christmas episode of American musical comedy series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. 

Many people may be unaware that he had already begun his vegan journey by the time he had his first job, as he developed a passion for animal rights at a very young age. Here’s everything you need to know about his veganism. 

Is Joaquin Phoenix vegan?

You’ve probably guessed by now that, yes, Joaquin Pheonix is indeed vegan. He was just three years old when he ditched animal products. While traveling with his family on a cargo ship from Venezuela to Miami, he and his siblings witnessed fish being “killed in a really violent and aggressive way.”

Recalling the incident in an interview with Brut, Phoenix said: “It was just absolutely obvious that that was something we didn’t want to participate in and support. To me, it just seems obvious.

“I don’t want to cause pain to another living, empathetic creature. I don’t want to take its babies away from it, I don’t want to force it to be indoors and fattened up just to be slaughtered.” He went on to describe killing animals for food as “absurd and barbaric,” adding: “I just don’t understand how you could witness that and not be affected by it.”

After he and his family saw the incident, Phoenix asked his mom why she didn’t tell him that’s how fish were made. He said that she had “tears streaming down her face,” and a few months later he and his siblings went vegan.

Joaquin Phoenix’s animal advocacy 

Throughout his life, Phoenix has joined forces with a number of animal organizations, including PETA. In 2021, he appeared in a campaign called “We Are All Animals,” which encouraged the public to “live vegan” and “help end speciesism.”

Speciesism is the idea that humans are superior to other animals. It’s this belief that has, for thousands of years, served as our justification for exploiting and killing them for our own benefit. “When we look at the world through another animal’s eyes, we see that inside we’re all the same – and that we all deserve to live free from suffering,” said Phoenix at the time. 

Phoenix has regularly attended vigils outside slaughterhouses. In January 2023, he released a statement to mark the closing of Farmer John slaughterhouse in LA. 

“The closure of the Farmer John slaughterhouse is only the end of a chapter in a book that is still being written, a book in which we continue to advocate for the liberation of all animals who suffer in these oppressive systems,” he said. “I am thankful to L.A. Animal Save and everyone in this community who has shown these animals the only kindness and respect they have ever known. You have taken the pain of bearing witness, and turned it into effective, peaceful, diplomatic advocacy for animals.”

Raising awareness at the Oscars

Phoenix won his first Academy Award in 2020, bringing home the Oscar for best actor in Joker. While many celebrities use their speech to thank their family and friends, Phoenix dedicated his to sending a powerful message about animal rights. 

“We (actors) share the same love, the love of film. And this form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life … I don’t know what I’d be without it,” he said. “But I think the greatest gift that it’s given me, and many of us in this room, is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless.”

He then highlighted that social justice issues like sexism, racism, LGBTQIA+ rights, Indigenous rights, and animal rights all fall under the same umbrella. He said that these occur when one group, or species, feels they have “the right to dominate, control and use and exploit another with impunity.”

Phoenix went on to say: “We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.”

While his speech was celebrated by some in the audience, a few people noticeably abstained from applauding. One of his supporters was Ellen Degeneres, who later tweeted: “That was a brave speech straight from Joaquin Phoenix’s heart. Thank you, Joaquin.”

Joaquin Phoenix and animal rescue

The day after his speech, Phoenix rescued a cow and her calf from a slaughterhouse in California. He did so in partnership with Farm Sanctuary, where the two were later housed. 

“My hope is, as we watch baby Indigo grow up with her mom Liberty at Farm Sanctuary, that we’ll always remember that friendships can emerge in the most unexpected places; and no matter our differences, kindness and compassion should rule everything around us,” he said at the time. 

Joaquin Phoenix, Earthlings, and other vegan films

Phoenix is the narrator of the 2005 documentary Earthlings, which has been credited with helping a large number of people make the move to veganism. The film explores the many ways humans exploit animals, with focus on the food, pet, clothing, science, and entertainment industries. 

He also served as an executive producer on the 2020 film Gunda, which documents the life of a mother pig and other animals. He held the same role on 2022 film End of Medicine, which explores the link between animal agriculture and health threats like pandemics and antibiotic resistance. 

Is Joaquin Phoenix’s partner and kids vegan?

Phoenix has been engaged to Rooney Mara since 2019, and they share a son named River, who was born in August 2020. Mara is also a committed vegan and activist. Phoenix previously shared that he won’t “force” his son to be vegan, but that he will be honest with him about where his food comes from. 

“Well, certainly I would hope that [he is vegan], but I’m not going to impose my belief on my child,” he told The Sunday Times. “I don’t think that’s right. I’m going to educate him about the reality. I’m not going to indoctrinate him with the idea that McDonald’s have a Happy Meal because there’s nothing f***ing happy about that meal.

“And I’m not going to tell him that it’s OK to read books about all the wonderful little farm animals, and they say ‘oink oink oink’ and ‘moo moo moo’, and not tell him that that’s what a hamburger is. So I’m not going to perpetuate the lie, but I’m also not going to force him to be vegan. I’ll support him. That’s my plan.”

—

More like this:

• Is James Cameron Vegan? Here’s What We Know
• Is Woody Harrelson Vegan? Everything He’s Said About The Lifestyle
• Is Chris Packham Vegan? Here’s What He’s Said About The Movement

The post Is Joaquin Phoenix Vegan? A History Of His Animal Activism appeared first on Plant Based News.

The company is known for its Chef Woo and Ramen Express brands, both of which sell meat-free instant noodles across North America. Ramsay will join as a “strategic partner and advisor,” which will see him offer culinary guidance, as well as general business advice. 

“With the current cost-of-living crisis on everyone’s minds and rising food prices being a world-wide problem, now more than ever, households across America face the very real issue of food insecurity,” Ramsay said in a statement. He added that he has some “big ideas” on creating nutritious options that are readily available and affordable. “I’m really looking forward to collaborating with the Borealis Foods team on their Chef Woo products in the coming months,” he continued.

What is Borealis Foods?

Founded in 2019, food-tech company Borealis Foods says it’s on a mission to address global food insecurity. According to Borealis Foods, Chef Woo is the world’s first plant-based noodle brand. It also offers 20 grams of protein per serving. 

The company specializes in foods that are Halal, Kosher, egg and dairy free, non-GMO, MSG free, as well as vegan. Its products are sold in 15,000 stores in the US, including Walmart and Costco. 

“We’ve made great progress in our purpose to address the issue of nutritious food insecurity. We’re looking to build on these efforts through our alliance with Gordon Ramsay,” commented Borealis founder and CEO Reza Soltanzadeh. “It’s obvious that Gordon shares our passion for ensuring healthy food choices for the many who deserve truly affordable, high-quality nutrition.”

Gordon Ramsay embraces plant-based eating

Ramsay has in the past been a hugely controversial figure in the vegan and plant-based spaces. He has repeatedly mocked vegans, and tweeted in 2018 that he was a member of PETA, which he said stood for “People Eating Tasty Animals.” Ramsay previously said he was “allergic” to vegetarians, and he sparked outrage last year after posting a video of himself selecting a lamb for slaughter. 

Last summer, however, he admitted on his TV show US Masterchef: Back to Win that he was actually a fan of vegan food. 

“It’s a secret that’s so big, I’m almost afraid to say it on national television,” he said. “After all these years, I can finally admit, that I actually love vegan food.”

In a later interview with People magazine, he said: “Thanks to the kids, I’ve realized it’s OK to be vegan… SOMETIMES!”

The post Gordon Ramsay Partners With Vegan Ramen Brand appeared first on Plant Based News.