Met Gala Mayhem! Bloodied PETA ‘Bird’ Upstages Celebs in Protest Against Wearing Stolen Feathers

For Immediate Release:
May 4, 2026

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

As A‑listers offered first glimpses of their Met Gala looks outside the Pierre Hotel today, a PETA supporter burst onto the scene and shed her coat, revealing a striking pair of faux feathered wings and body paint resembling the bloody skin of a bird who had been plucked alive. With “Feathers: A Look That Kills” written across her chest, the animal rights advocate gave the stars and throngs of paparazzi an up-close look at the plight of birds who are plucked repeatedly or simply killed for their feathers. Photos and video footage of the disruption are available here.

“Behind every feathered frock on the red carpet is a bird who felt pain and fear and didn’t want to die for a fleeting fashion statement,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on designers and consumers to leave feathers on the birds who were born with them and embrace compassionate vegan couture.”

In nature, ostriches stay with their parents for up to 3 years. In the fashion industry, workers forcibly restrain ostriches as young as 1 year old, electrically stun them, and slit their throats before tearing the feathers from their still-warm bodies. Other birds fare no better—peacocks, pheasants, emus, turkeys, and chickens all experience miserable lives on crowded farms and painful deaths so that their feathers can be used for fashion.

In light of this inherent cruelty, numerous major brands and events have banned feathers from their shows, including Victoria’s Secret and Copenhagen Fashion Week. Stella McCartney, famously feather-free, has called on designers to sign PETA’s feather-free pledge , vowing never to use feathers in their collections.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kitsfor people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.