From Hollywood to Wimbledon, it's clear: Everybody's going vegan.

Mischa Barton said she dropped weight when she dropped animal products, and vegetarian Alan Cumming was inspired by vegan Mike Tyson to do all animals a solid and go vegan too.

Venus Williams' new vegan diet is helping her manage her Sjögren's syndrome. Little sis Serena Williams followed in Venus' tennis shoes and went vegan as well. And WWE champ CM Punk made it his New Year's resolution to C Meat out the door.

Photo: Robert Sebree • Makeup: Steven Sollitto

Roselyn Sanchez asked people not to light fireworks, which terrify animals and kill birds, on New Year's Eve. Then she started her year off with a bang, welcoming a new little animal advocate, daughter Sebella Rose Winter, to her family.

UFC Fighter Dan Hardy is welcoming fellow fighter Matt Hughes to the ring to pick on someone his own size. Hardy called Hughes out for hunting for sport, tweeting, "There is no justification for what he does. I fight against other people that enjoy fighting also. Shooting animals for fun isn't sport and it certainly isn't cool."

What is cool is keeping up with what  celebs are doing to help animals by following PETA on Twitter.

Courtesy of Lelah Foster

Having a celebrity as the face of an animal rights campaign has helped PETA achieve huge victories. For instance, vocal protests by Sir Paul McCartney and Alicia Silverstone helped convince NASA not to blast squirrel monkeys with harmful doses of radiation. Celebrities such as Olivia Munn and Sarah Silverman have helped publicize Ringling Bros.' cruelty to animals, which recently resulted in the largest U.S. Department of Agriculture fine in circus history. And with the help of Lea Michele, the suffering of horses in New York City's carriage trade is garnering attention.

Michelle Cho, the senior manager of communications, dishes about what it's like behind the scenes of some of PETA's most visible work:

What is one of the most exciting things happening right now with PETA's work with celebrities?
So many professional athletes are enthusiastic about getting involved. Tony Gonzalez, Chad Ochocinco, Chase Utley, Gilbert Arenas, Amar'e Stoudemire, Willis McGahee, Lance Briggs,  Chris Andersen, and many others are allowing us to reach legions of sports fans about animal issues. 

What is one of your favorite celebrity stories?
When I first met Steve-O six years ago, I was interviewing him about elephant abuse that he had witnessed as a student at Ringling's clown college. I recall him saying that he didn't think vegetarianism was possible for him. Then began the phone calls inquiring about feathers, leather, wool, and even animal products in chewing gum! And just two years later, he had an "aha moment" in which he decided that he didn't want to contribute to the unnecessary suffering of animals and went vegan. He is one of the most inspirational people I've ever known, and I'm so proud to call him a dear friend.

Is Hollywood more animal-friendly than it used to be?
Definitely. Thanks to the Internet, we disseminate a lot more information, and it's reaching powerful people. Major ad agencies are pledging never to use great apes, filmmakers are using computer-generated imagery rather than using live animals, and TV shows and movies are including animal rights–related storylines. The support of so many influential people in show business can only pay bigger dividends for animals in the future.

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Join the A-list party! Become a PETA member today.

© StarMaxinc

A new report found that celebrities and their children often inspire baby names among the rest of us. For example, pop singer and PETA supporter Pink's daughter's name, Willow, made a list of top celeb-inspired names.

With the plethora of animal-friendly celebrities out there, people who want to name their baby after someone whose heart is as big as his or her star power have many options to chose from, such as Portia, for a vegan role model who embodies cruelty-free beauty; Taraji, in honor of someone who wears her heart (but never animals) on her sleeve; and Kellan, for a boy who's not afraid to show his sensitive side, especially when it comes to helping animals.

Who knows—maybe next year's top baby names will be Lea or Steve-O or even Metta World Peace. 

Which animal-friendly stars do you think have names worthy of consideration for a new bundle of joy?

We know where Bill Maher got the shirt that he wore to perform at George Washington University—'cause we made it. Lookin' good, Bill.

© Michelle Rattinger/ GW Hatchet.

Speaking of making it: After becoming the first vegan to win a Food Network cooking competition, chef Chloe Coscarelli is still on a (vegan-buttered) roll, making the world a better place for animals and our waistlines. Check out her scrumptious new recipes on Eatocracy.

Anna Wintour took some heat for being cold-hearted enough to wear several cold-blooded animals on her back. "She looks like she got that at a consignment store where pimps drop their coats off," said E! news anchor Giuliana Rancic.

Another proud animal friend who's "still right here" is Melissa Ferrick, who is currently on tour promoting her new album. The adoption advocate would love what Robert Downey Jr. and his wife, Susan, are up to—the couple adopted a pair of cats their friend found in a bush.

Cats don't belong in the wild, but elephants certainly do, according to Coldplay, whose new video features the band members dressed up as elephants searching for "Paradise."

Written by Michelle Sherrow

This whale of a tale is true: Dolphin activist Hayden Panettiere traveled to the White House to thank President Obama for asking Iceland to ban hunting whales and exporting their meat. Fellow ocean-animal advocates Richard Branson and basketball legend Yao Ming are calling for a ban on shark-fin soup in China, where 95 percent of the cruel fare is served.

Yao Ming isn't the only athlete taking action for animals. After being vegetarian for four years, Toronto Maple Leaf Mike Zigomanis has gone vegan as part of his effort to become healthier, stronger, and a better player.

Congratulations to glowing vegan mom Emily Deschanel, who gave birth last week to her first child, son Henry Hornsby. A rockin' congrats also goes out to the inimitable Joan Jett for her well-deserved Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination. She loves rock and roll … as well as chickens, cows, seals, pigs, elephants, and rabbits.

Another award we couldn't help but crack a smile about—furry Kim Kardashian was voted the most annoying celebrity. Maybe kind sis Khloe can teach her how to be more popular.

Speaking of popular­­—Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Maher, and other celebs helped make PETA's White House spay-and-neuter petition one of the first to reach 5,000 signatures and go to the president for review by tweeting about the dog and cat homelessness crisis. You can join Ellen, Bill, and many others in sending a strong message about the importance of spaying and neutering by signing the petition too.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Lea Michele is no stranger to accolades, with Golden Globe and Emmy Award nods for her role on Glee. And today, Variety magazine is honoring Lea at its third annual Power of Women luncheon for her off-screen role working with PETA as a powerful advocate for animals.

Lea Michele ©Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic

Thanks to Lea, PETA representatives will be there, too, putting our message in front of Variety's 450 guests with a booth where we will hand out vegetarian/vegan starter kits, "Glass Walls" DVDs, tote bags, and shirts.

We've been fans of Lea since back when she was conquering the Great White Way and speaking out about the unattractive side of New York—the cruel horse-drawn carriage industry.

Now that Glee has made Lea a household name, she always uses her celebrity status to promote animal rights—from denouncing fur to singing the praises of a vegan diet. Her Twitter feed is always alight with animal-friendly suggestions sent to her 1.1 million followers.

Congratulations, Lea. You inspire us to keep striving to save animals' lives every day.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

"Skinnygirl" Bethenny Frankel might be calling us for tips—she is raising baby Bryn on a healthy vegetarian diet. 

Award-winning singer Leona Lewis is also a champ for seals. The longtime vegetarian and fur foe is calling for an end to the seal slaughter in Namibia. But one place that fur was welcome—and, in fact, required—was at a dog fashion show hosted by Kevin Nealon, which raised money for spay-and-neuter clinics.

Many stars have been letting their fingers do the talking, sending pro-animal messages to their millions of Twitter followers:

American Idol veteran Jordin Sparks and her four dogs would probably have enjoyed the show—Sparks makes sure that they get plenty of quality time together. The dogs travel right alongside her on her tour bus, and (get your "Awww!" ready) she says that she strives to be a better person because of them.

Is Elle Fanning thinking about becoming an animal parent too? The Super 8 star was spotted in Santa Monica looking at cats who were up for adoption.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Mario Barth is a trendsetter in the tattoo world—he owns and runs the internationally renowned Starlight Tattoo, hosts the annual Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth, and has a loyal celebrity clientèle.

Mario might look tough, but he has a soft spot for animals. That's why he's taking a stand for those exploited by the fur industry and is starring in PETA's latest "Ink, Not Mink" ad.

Yesterday, Mario unveiled his ad at the star-studded opening day of this year's Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth:

Uh, which one's the real Mario and which one's the ad?

Tommy Lee, who starred in his own "Ink, Not Mink" ad, checks out the latest in the series.

Eager for more? Go watch the behind-the-scenes interview to see what Mario has to say to anyone who wears fur.

Written by Liz Graffeo

boston / CC

Ever since notorious dog abuser Michael Vick got out of jail and was signed by the apparently desperate Philadelphia Eagles, there has been a lot of discussion in the press and at your local humane society and sports bar about the ethics of his return to the NFL—and all the other issues that go along with it.

Now, the Washington Post (along with media outlets everywhere) is reporting that Nike might again be teaming up with Vick for product endorsements.

Today in the Post's special online NFL feature, "The League," PETA's own Dan Shannon cuts through the noise with a guest post on the subject. Dan puts it bluntly when he writes, "If Nike and other companies know what's best for the bottom line, they won't touch Michael Vick with a 10-foot pole."

Read the whole post here.

Written by Jeff Mackey

My mom, my sister, and I always used to play "spot the celebrity" in airports. Not real celebrities, necessarily—just people who look like the rich and famous. So, for me, it's only fitting that PETA's new public service announcement—which we had hoped to run in New York City airports during fashion week but was rejected by the CNN Airport Network—is full of real celebrities to spot:

Just in case you need some help, we'll give you a few hints:

1. This person has been called PETA's "weapon of mass distraction" by her pal, PETA V.P. Dan Mathews.
2. This person's "Ink, Not Mink" ad showed us all that he has "Your Name" tattooed on his butt.
3. This musician was one of the first celebrities to get involved with PETA, with her 1987 hit record Don't Kill the Animals.
4. This celebrated writer and comedian firmly established her niche when she recorded a vegetarian testimonial about being Jewish, ***, and vegan.
5. This comedian just went viral as a "fried" Ronald McDonald.

So, can you spot all the celebrities?

Written by Amanda Schinke