Written by PETA
TMZ founder Harvey Levin is the breaking celebrity news—he's newly vegetarian and no longer wears leather. It's likely that Levin's love of animals caused him to make the switch. He's "deeply into animal rescue" and says that the last time he cried was when his beloved dog, Floyd, passed away.
All aboard! Ozzy Osbourne is riding the vegan train after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives. When Russell Brand watched it, the reigning Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity opted to become the Sexiest Vegan.
You wouldn't expect anything less than healthy and delicious when Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi partner with Chrissie Hynde for a new vegan restaurant, and that's just what you'll get with vegan celeb chef Tal Ronnen preparing the menus. He's a busy guy—he's also bringing his vegan flair to LYFE Kitchen restaurant as co-executive chef, alongside Oprah's former chef, Art Smith.
Vegetarian singer Kate Bush wanted to let her fans know in advance of her forthcoming album, 50 Words for Snow, that she wears 50 kinds of faux in the snowy photo shoot because she's sure her fans "feel the same way as I do about wearing real fur."
Fellow musician Helen Marnie of Ladytron made no bones (or pelts) about the group's refusal to wear fur in an interview with Rolling Stone. "[F]ur—be it rabbit, fox, mink, whatever—is totally out of the question," she says.
To see what else celebs have been saying about PETA, check out our Twitter feed.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
When Food Network chef Giada De Laurentiis asked her viewers what they'd like her to cook, they overwhelmingly requested more vegetarian meals. In fact, De Laurentiis predicts vegetarian meals will be the hot trend in 2012, and in preparation, she's been testing a variety of mouthwatering vegetarian concoctions. She says in a Food Network video that when her mother went vegetarian, "I sort of made it my mission to start coming up with dishes that wouldn't make you miss the meat." In the video, De Laurentiis shares her recipes for delectable dishes, including a zesty vegan curry bean dip:
To help get her creative juices flowing for developing more vegetarian delights, PETA sent De Laurentiis a copy of The Conscious Cook by vegan chef Tal Ronnen, who has cooked for the likes of Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres. The book is a wealth of information about delicious, versatile, and protein-rich faux meats that can be the basis for healthy plant-based meals.
To get a jump start on 2012's vegetarian food craze, pick up your own copy of Chef Tal's book, or browse the free vegetarian recipes on PETA's "Living" page right now!
Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
Oh, how we love Olivia Munn. In her Us Weekly "25 Things You Don't Know About Me" Q&A, she wrote: "I believe in rescuing your pets, not buying them." You're in good company there, Olivia. Loads of celebrities are fans of animal shelters, including Orlando Bloom, who rescued his dog, Sidi, seven years ago and has enjoyed having him right by his side ever since.
We can easily name 25 things that we love about Pamela Anderson. Just this week, as she headed into the Celebrity Big Brother (UK) house, she sent a letter to the European Commission, asking it to institute the ban on animal-tested cosmetics in 2013, instead of delaying it, as the commission has discussed doing. Then she proposed a deliciously kind idea to her new housemates: She will introduce them all to heavenly vegetarian cuisine, and the entire show will be cruelty-free.
Fellow vegetarian Ke$ha is proving that blondes really do have more (animal-friendly) fun by designing a new line of faux-fur clothing and accessories.
Maybe they'll become one of Oprah's favorite things. The Editor's Note in the October issue of O reads, "And there's one [trend] that O has decided to skip, not just this season but in every issue since the magazine began: garments made of real fur. . . . That is not to say you won't find exotic animal skins and feathers in O's October issue; it's just that they're still attached to the living creatures that grew them."
Well said! And these stars are eloquent about animal issues in 140 characters or fewer:
Michael Vick's last-minute cancelation of his scheduled February 24 appearance on Oprah is all over the news, and the big question everyone's asking is, "Why did Vick back out?"
PETA pal Simone Reyes tweeted her theory: "Rumor has it @Peta was prepping @oprah w/ the tough questions for Vick." We can't blame Vick for fearing the grilling he might have received from an avowed dog lover and PETA's 2009 Person of the Year, but, so far, the only explanation Vick has given for canceling is that it was for "personal reasons."
Hopefully, Vick will take the advice of Los Angeles Times blogger Joe Flint, who wrote yesterday, "Part of what Vick needs to learn and show is humility, and going on a popular TV show to say look at me now is not humble." But in case Vick decides to try his luck with Piers Morgan (who lost a $300 bet with Oprah that he would be the first to snag Vick for an interview), PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk has already sent Piers a friendly e-mail asking him not to book Vick on his show.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
PETA Files readers know that we adore Ellen and Oprah for their endless efforts to help animals. Today we're throwing some love—and sending our thanks—to another daytime talk-show host, Dr. Phil, who earlier this week turned his viewers' attention from cheating spouses to the seedy world of dogfighting.
When he confronted a dogfighter during the show, Dr. Phil didn't mince words: "I think dogfighting is wrong. I think it is despicable. I think it is sick. I think it is disgusting." The good doctor also blogged about the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the sale of porn for pup torturers, declaring, "I was sick to my stomach."
We'd also like to point out that Dr. Phil's other guest, Paris Hilton, whom we've taken to task in the past for her own bad behavior, chimed in: "I kind of want to punch [the dogfighter] in the face."
After you thank Dr. Phil for taking on dogfighters, tell us what you think should be done to stop them?
Written by Karin Bennett
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. —Martin Luther King Jr.
Countless prominent African Americans throughout history have used their influence to stand up for animals, and this month we celebrate their inspiring efforts. Civil rights leader Coretta Scott King extended her kindness toward humans to animals by going vegan. The late comedian Richard Pryor, who won our Humanitarian Award in 1999, tirelessly urged KFC and McDonald's to treat chickens humanely and spoke out on behalf of the elephants abused by Ringling and other circuses.
Today, fur-free First Lady Michelle Obama and awareness-raising media mogul (not to mention PETA's 2008 Person of the Year) Oprah Winfrey continue the historic trend of African Americans defending animals. Author and social thinker Cornel West, record producer Russell Simmons, and community leader Rev. Al Sharpton are among the many who have ensured that Richard Pryor's legacy lives on by asking KFC to stop abusing chickens. And many more—including Tyra Banks, Tony and October Gonzalez, John Salley, Nia Long, Gilbert Arenas and Amar'e Stoudamaire—have worked with PETA in campaigns to stop the exploitation of animals. Join us this month in honoring these generous and compassionate black men and women.
Written by Logan Scherer
What do you get when two of our all-time favorite people—Oprah Winfrey and Alicia Silverstone—tackle the topic of America's addiction to cheaply raised, unhealthy animal products? An episode of Oprah that's both a chilling reality check and a charming hunger-inducer.
Oprah's never been one to shy away from the hard-hitting issues, and on yesterday's show she took a critical look at modern factory farming methods. Viewers were given a glimpse of modern farming methods and were, no doubt, shocked to see footage of chicks tumbling down a chute—as though they were nothing more than paper clips on an assembly line—and adult chickens, belly up, struggling to breathe in jam-packed, stench-filled sheds. But, never one to leave her audience without a solution to an issue, Oprah invited the vivacious and lovely Alicia Silverstone to the show to teach viewers about delicious, satisfying vegan alternatives to meat-laden and dairy-drenched foods.
While Alicia set to work making mouthwatering recipes from her cookbook, The Kind Diet, she also revealed that her acne, insomnia, and asthma all vanished when she went vegan. If I weren't already dining on a cruelty-free diet, those facts combined with Alicia's recipe for Artichoke, Mushroom and Leek Crostinis would have been enough to get me to try it out. So tell us: Was it the food or the health benefits that finally convinced you to try a vegan diet?
Between the Trollsen twits and cruel reality show "celetestants", I'm soooo ready to say, "Bye-bye, '09. Hello, 2010."
We at PETA are feeling optimistic about the New Year. But before we ring it in, let's have a look at 2009's low points and our predictions for 2010's animal-friendly hot topics and trends.
Now let's all raise our glasses to compassion for all!
Word on the Internet has it that Kevin Jonas—the oldest of the Jonas Brothers—and Danielle Deleasa were married this weekend (that sound you hear is the collective weeping of the world's 16-year-old girls), and the newlyweds treated their lucky guests to a vegetarian smorgasbord: According to the chef, there were "stir-fried Asian vegetables, Italian rice, risotto, pasta, and a full vegetarian station." (And that other sound is the collective sigh of the world's vegetarians who were not invited.)
I get it—with 400 invitations, mine must've gotten lost in the mail. So where are Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn when you need them? Seriously, I've still got my Gaga wig from Halloween—I totally could've crashed joined in this feast!
The party may be over, but the celebration continues—and not just in endless repeats of "Burnin' Up" on my shuffle. We're sending the newlyweds a thank-you note for making sure that they didn't forget about their vegetarian friends and family on their big day. We're also sending a wedding gift (not belated, BTW—you have three months after the wedding)—a copy of PETA's Vegan College Cookbook—because, you know, it's perfect for couples just starting out, struggling to make ends meet (wink) or for that couple who is always on the go.
We know that the Boston Strangler did it. So did Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. Like so many others, all these serial killers tortured animals before "graduating" to humans.
That link has raised suspicions about an Oklahoma teen, Nikolas Kerr, who is accused of torturing and killing a 2-month-old kitten. A witness claims that she saw Kerr set the kitten on fire, repeatedly slam the tiny animal into a piece of furniture, and swing the cat by the tail. When asked why he did it, Kerr allegedly said, "'Cause I'm a sociopath." Those actions and words have piqued the interest of prosecutors who are trying to determine the extent of Kerr's involvement in the death of a homeless man known as "Bicycle Bob."
The link between violence against animals and violence against humans is well-established: It's why PETA developed a special booklet for law enforcement officials and prosecutors. It's also why actor Julie Benz—who played the wife of a serial killer who killed animals before moving on to people on Showtime's hit show Dexter—spoke out in a PETA public service announcement. And it's why we always urge anyone who knows of a violent crime against an animal to report it to authorities, pronto.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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