The rumor mill is buzzing with reports that Johnny Depp, who just celebrated his 50th birthday, has gone vegan. The famously private star hasn't confirmed or denied the news, but a source says that Johnny is "raving about losing his paunch." 

© StarMaxInc.com

• In other celebrity news: Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are learning quite a bit from their adopted chickens. "They're very social animals," Jennifer said, "and they like it when you visit them with a cup of coffee in your hand. According to my groundskeeper, they love pasta." 
• Perez Hilton reports that Nina Dobrev is feeling healthy and happy because of yoga and eating "mostly vegan food." 
• Yoga trainer to the stars Rainbeau Mars created a lot of Internet buzz when she invited her wedding guests to participate in a three-week vegan cleanse before the big day. Rainbeau took to The Huffington Post to let people know that the idea was merely a suggestion for her guests but that she hopes they, too, will discover the physical and mental health benefits of vegan eating.
• Dancing With the Stars pro Kym Johnson unveiled her new PETA Australia ad in her native Sydney, Australia. The ballroom beauty struck a pose with a handsome hare to encourage people to choose bunny-friendly cosmetics.

• When Wendy Williams dropped by Ellen DeGeneres' show, Ellen showed Wendy's recent nude PETA ad and the gals gabbed about the things they're both doing to help animals. Meanwhile, Ellen's "official underwear model," Mike Wolfanger, was busy rescuing a turtle from the middle of a crowded road and posting a charming Instagram photo of the rescue:

And elsewhere on the Web, celebs were tweeting about animal rights:

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter. 

After he heard that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had weight-loss surgery, the Rev. Al Sharpton urged him to keep the pounds off the natural way: by eating healthy food and exercising. Sharpton has been all about the plants after having a chat with former President Bill Clinton, and now he's ready to help another political figure maintain his figure.

We won't be surprised if the plant-based prez is spotted dining at L.A.'s fêted new restaurant Crossroads, owned by celebrated vegan chef to the stars and PETA friend Tal Ronnen. Renée Zellweger, Warren Beatty, Ellen DeGeneres, and Tony Kanal are just a few of the famous faces you might see enjoying delectable vegan eats there.

Ginnifer Goodwin enjoyed Crossroads so much that she encouraged all her Twitter followers to check it out, and other stars were in the mood to share some of their favorite snapshots:

If you can handle even more doggie delightfulness, check out the pictures of Kevin Spacey with his new rescued dog, Boston. PETA sent Boston some toys and treats to help welcome her to her new home.

And congratulations are also in order for fur-free beauties Eva Mendes, Kristen Stewart, and Mila Kunis as well as horse hero Lea Michele and adoption advocate Amanda Seyfried. All the animal-friendly gals earned a spot on FHM's list of the top 100 sexiest women in the world.

Pierce Brosnan is no stranger to "hottest" lists—and he's no stranger to animal advocacy, either. The dashing Irishman's latest effort involves convincing the U.S. Navy to halt plans for training drills in which it would detonate explosives in the ocean, killing and injuring whales and other marine mammals.

To keep up with how all your favorite stars are helping animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.

Carrie Underwood isn't hiding her disgust about Tennessee's "ag-gag" bill—and and rightfully so. She strongly disagrees with making cruelty investigations on farms illegal and said she may just show up on the governor's doorstep if he signs the bill into law. But state Rep. Andy Holt took it upon himself to insult Carrie for voicing her opinion, saying, "I would say that if Carrie Underwood will stick to singing, I'll stick to lawmaking." That jab didn't sit well with the always-informed Underwood, who tweeted, "I should stick to singing? Wow…sorry, I'm just a tax paying citizen concerned for the safety of my family." 

She then tweeted to Ellen DeGeneres, thanking her for discussing "ag-gag" bills on Ellen. And Wynonna Judd, Miley Cyrus, Tish Cyrus, and Tony Kanal all hopped on Twitter, too, to show their support for Carrie and to bash "ag-gag" bills.

Beth Stern, host of the new Nat Geo Wild show Spoiled Rotten Pets and wife of Howard Stern, is piping up, too—about Kim Kardashian's penchant for fur. "It makes me really sad," she said. "I know her sister was a poster child for PETA. I don't watch the Kardashians; I'm very aware of them, but I do know that the sister was involved, so of course that entire family would know what goes on, what happens to animals when they're wearing a fur coat."

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.

It looks like DJ Pauly D is DTF—Down to Feast (on vegan food). After he watched the game-changing documentary Forks Over Knives, Pauly tweeted, "Just Watched A Movie Called 'Forks Over Knives' Basically Changed My Life!" It isn't surprising, since we know that he likes staying in great shape and looking "fresh to death." PETA sent Pauly some swag to help him get started, including Vegan Cooking for Carnivores and a vegetarian/vegan starter kit. 

And model Ireland Baldwin is making her fridge as green as her namesake. After PETA tweeted that some Easter candy is made from "excretions of a beaver butthole," Ireland responded, "Well, @peta gives me another reason to commit to becoming vegan." Animal-friendly genes must run in the family: Her dad, Alec Baldwin, is a top-notch PETA supporter, and mom Kim Basinger is vegetarian. 

Pauly and Ireland weren't the only ones posting sweet tweets for animals this week:

HLN's Morning Express host Robin Meade has also ditched meat. Maybe Jane Velez-Mitchell is helping her find her way to Veganville. 

Vegan funny lady Ellen DeGeneres will help audiences everywhere remember that fish are friends, not food, in her upcoming Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory.

And we'll leave you this week with an "Awww": a video of Pauly D's pal—and ours—Jay Sean hanging with his dog, Tyler. Yeah, buddy!

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter. 

Lady Gaga has plenty of fans—especially in the gay community, which she has embraced so fervently. Gay Gaga fans at PETA loved her all the more when she came out against fur, telling Ellen DeGeneres, "I hate fur and I don't wear fur." But recent furry Gaga photos show that the Lady may be a turncoat. So PETA VP Dan Mathews has written to Gaga to find out if she's become a "Judas" to animals:

Dear Gaga,

Many of your gay fans, I among them, have long admired what you told Ellen: "I hate fur and I don't wear fur." I included a link because these recent photos of you in fox and rabbit and with a wolf carcass make it appear that you have amnesia. I'm also including this brief video hosted by Tim Gunn showing the violent cruelty that you promote when you wear fur. What happened? Are your stylists telling you that it's fake, or are you a turncoat? Many gays are animal advocates because we recognize that the same arrogance and indifference that some have toward animal suffering has at times been directed toward us personally because of our orientation. PETA has long participated in Pride events around the country, and just last week, we helped lead protests against Chick-fil-A. But by wearing those dumb furs in a heat wave, you're making yourself a target just like the mindless Kim Kardashian. As we plan our fall campaigns, please tell us whether what you gracefully told Ellen was heartfelt or just a pose.

We await your reply.

Sincerely,

Dan Mathews

Senior Vice President

PETA

What You Can Do

Gaga has refused to say whether the furs that she has been wearing are fake, so won't you chime in to try and get her to reply?

Rihanna got busted by the fashion police for wearing a dress made of crocodile. Kelly Osbourne rocked for crocs by proclaiming that she's not down with people wearing crocodile skins. 

Over on one of our other favorite shows, Ellen, Carrie Underwood dished about how her hubby, hockey player Mike Fisher, is getting cozy with vegan cuisine. And since Ellen DeGeneres gave Underwood Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by her chef, Roberto Martin, we're betting things will really be heating up in the couple's kitchen.

Ellen, Portia de Rossi, and Roberto also veganized the Rachael Ray Show. While Roberto and Portia cooked, Ellen quipped that cheese is so heavy that if you skip it, "there is more room for cocktails!"

In the Philippines for a performance, outspoken vegetarian Morrissey (a few chords from Meat Is Murder, anyone?), urged  President Benigno Aquino III to send Manila Zoo's lone elephant, Mali, who has spent the last 35 years imprisoned, to a sanctuary that PETA has secured for her in the U.S.

Captivating actor Marion Cotillard is also against holding animals captive. On the orca training scenes that appear in her upcoming film, Rust and Bone, she said, "I've always had a repulsion going in a place where animals are in captivity."

Of course, celebrities were also tweeting for animals this week, including Jonah Hill and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino: 

To keep up with what the stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.

Just two months after telling Ellen DeGeneres, "I want to be a vegan," Meredith Vieira has done it. After seeing her Ellen appearance, PETA rushed Meredith a copy of Sir Paul McCartney's slaughterhouse exposé Glass Walls, a vegetarian/vegan starter kit, and Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook to help her along. On The Chew, she told chef Mario Batali about why she made the switch: "I've done a lot of stories on the way food is, you know, processed in this country—animals—and it's very disturbing."

CNBC's Jim Cramer isn't just mad about money—now he's gone mad for vegetarian cuisine. In the wake of the "pink slime" debacle, Cramer announced on Squawk on the Street that he is going vegetarian, just like his doctor and his daughter.

There will soon be less to see of Seattle Seahawk Deuce Lutui. He went vegan to lose weight and improve his performance in the coming season.

Sexiest Vegetarian alum Leona Lewis finds the song formerly called "Theraflu" by the tool currently called "Kanye West" "awful." She tweeted, "Heard that awful Kanye W song talking about minx dragging on the floor. What an awful thing to be proud of! I take all my love for him back!" She then tweeted a picture of an adorable mink and the words "Lil minx <3."

Leona's celeb pals joined her in sticking up for animals on Twitter this week:

After learning about Walter, a severely abused dog who was starved and then thrown out of the window of a moving car, Ashley Judd is picking up the tab for his medical expenses, visiting him every day, and updating her Twitter followers on his condition. "This never should have happened to Walter, and through his story, we can make sure that it never happens to another animal again," she said.

Rock legend Morrissey wants to help make sure that no more sheep are mutilated in a cruel process called "mulesing." While touring in Japan, Moz reached out to Tokyo-based international clothier Uniqlo and asked the company to stop sourcing wool from Australian farmers who still mules sheep.

To keep up with what the stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.

Here's one thing that dog and cat people can agree on: Jennifer Aniston and Jay Leno's conversation on The Tonight Show about their rescued animals and the importance of adoption was the bee's knees.

You can catch fellow adoption advocate Carrie Ann Inaba on both the tube and YouTube when she launches her Web show, Crib Cat, which will feature cats who are up for adoption. We're sure she'll play fair and not give special consideration to PETA pal Martina Navratilova on this season of Dancing With the Stars.

Carrie Ann is also using Twitter to encourage people to save animals' lives. Here's what she and other celebs are buzzing about:

Dave Navarro recently asked his Twitter followers to make donations for a new mobile SNIP clinic for PETA. Watch for the inked, never minked, celebrity on Spike's new season of Ink Master.

Photo: Frank W Ockenfels 3 | Hair and makeup: Sarah Maxwell | Background graphic: © iStockphoto.com/Alexandr Labetskiy

When Meredith Vieira stopped by Ellen, she said she was interested in going vegan—and scored herself a "Glass Walls" DVD, a cookbook, and some other animal-friendly loot from PETA.

PETA also sent vegetarian GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan an on-tour care package that included PETA's Vegan College Cookbook and a list of vegetarian restaurants in the cities that he and the band are hitting.

Brit band The Wanted has crept up to number two on the U.S. iTunes charts, and singer Jay McGuiness crept up to number one on PETA U.K.'s Sexiest Vegetarian poll last year.

The smart money is on Timothy Bradley Jr. to come out number one in his upcoming fight against Manny Pacquiao. The boxer is training vegan to get in prime sparring shape.

To keep up with celebrity animal news, follow @PETA on Twitter.

Nothing says "Thanksgiving" like People's Sexiest Man Alive announcement. This year, the magazine named Bradley Cooper, whose good looks are matched by his good heart. He counts as his greatest loves his rescued mixed-breed dogs.

Speaking of actors and their rescued pups, Booboo Stewart showed up at the Breaking Dawn tent city event wearing PETA's "My Dog Is a Rescue" T-shirt. Booboo is one of several PETA pals in the film, so feel free to use that as an excuse to go watch sexy vampires canoodle on the big screen.

Thanksgiving and football go together like Tofurky and gravy, which is probably what Dallas Cowboys starting fullback Tony Fiammetta will be eating during the holiday. Fiammetta recently switched to a healthy vegan diet, which he says makes him feel better both on and off the field.

Would you invite Bill Clinton to be your Thanksgiving menu consultant? Now that he's vegan and reportedly makes his own cream of asparagus soup, Ellen DeGeneres sought out the former president to sample her new vegan restaurant's menu.

Celebs were a-buzz on Twitter this week, including Megan Park and Carrie Ann Inaba, tweeting about their delicious vegan meals:

Other animal-friendly updates came from Emmanuelle Vaugier and Lexie Tomchek, both of whom shared anti-fur messages. Lovely ladies Angela Simmons and Simone Reyes posted several updates about a PETA event they attended at Uncle Rush's house.

And what better way to wrap up a Thanksgiving-themed celeb update than with a few words from longtime vegetarian Sarah Silverman?

Written by Heather Faraid Drennan

Who shot J.R.? Currently, TNT is shooting the Dallas patriarch for the reincarnation of the show coming next summer. And Larry Hagman is having a reincarnation of his own off the set: Switching to a vegetarian diet is helping him fight cancer.

Bob Barker and Jorja Fox are waging a fight of their own—for the elephants, tigers, and lions who are forced to spend a lifetime in chains just so that people can have a few minutes of "entertainment." The pair traveled to Washington, D.C., to ask congressional representatives to support the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act, which would bar circuses from using wild animals.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' Mike Zigomanis might call himself a lover, not a fighter. The decorated Most Gentlemanly Player takes his thoughtfulness to the kitchen, too, where he whips up amazing vegan smorgasbords that make us nonchefs feel as inferior as his opponents do on the ice.  

The lovely Sasha Grey scored a goal: she just adopted a furry new companion, her rescued dog, MacReady.

You'll find no fur on Placebo drummer Steve Forrest, who stars in a new anti-fur ad for PETA U.K.:

Photo: © Kayla Wren

Fellow fur foe Leona Lewis is launching her own Project Runway of sorts, offering aspiring designers a chance to create an outfit that she will wear on tour and be photographed in. And she has specified that the designers must "make it work" without harming any animals—Leona only wears cruelty-free fashion.

Written by Michelle Sherrow