Hens Need a Break Fast: James Cromwell Calls on Marriott to Serve Vegan Eggs

For Immediate Release:
September 16, 2026

Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382

Encouraged by Marriott International’s recent progress for animals—including no longer selling cruel camel and horse rides at the Pyramids of Giza —Oscar-nominated actor and PETA honorary director James Cromwell sent a letter today to Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano, urging the hospitality giant to build on that momentum by making vegan JUST Egg available at all its hotels. In the letter, Cromwell points to his new PETA video spot, in which he bonds with a rescued bird named Hermione and explains why “cage-free” eggs—which some businesses mistakenly believe to be a kinder choice—aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

In the video, Cromwell shares how hens on “cage-free” farms are instead crammed into “one massive cage”—typically a filthy, windowless warehouse, where fighting, suffocation and cannibalism are more common due to thousands of frustrated hens competing for resources and unable to escape those who bully them. They often have as little as one square foot of space and to stop anxiety-induced pecking and cannibalism, have the tips of their sensitive beaks cut or burnt off—a painful mutilation that makes it hard for them to eat, drink, and groom themselves.

“I hope you’ll do right by the little hens featured in my video by making your delicious vegan egg options available at not just some, but all Marriott properties,” Cromwell writes. “Providing guests with a delicious, high-protein vegan breakfast option would spare countless animals while meeting the growing demand for more sustainable and compassionate food choices.”

Chickens form complex social structures, dream when they sleep, and worry about the future, just as humans do. PETA notes that vegan egg options—including JUST Egg and Yo Egg—are widely available, and the global vegan egg market is expected to reach $4.5 billion by 2030.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kitsfor people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Cromwell’s letter to Capuano follows.

Anthony Capuano

President and CEO

Marriott International, Inc

Dear Mr. Capuano:

I’m writing as an honorary director, no, not of a film or a play, but on behalf of PETA to urge you to watch a short video I just did about hens used in the egg industry. I’ve been encouraged to see Marriott take meaningful steps for animals in recent years, including no longer selling camel and horse rides at the Pyramids of Giza, and offering vegan egg dishes at many Marriott locations. Because of that progress, I hope you’ll do right by the little hens featured in my video by making your delicious vegan egg options available at not just some, but all Marriott properties.

Many people know that my connection to animals used for food began with Babe, the remarkable pig who changed the way I saw the world. Chickens, however, are wonderful in their own ways. They can recognize dozens of individual faces and communicate with one another using a sophisticated range of vocalizations.

In the new video, featuring rescued hens, I discuss why there is no such thing as a cruelty-free egg: birds in cage-free facilities often endure much of the same suffering experienced by hens confined to battery cages, but under a label that sounds far better than the conditions actually are. They may not be in cages but are still crowded by the thousands into industrial sheds where disease, injuries, and stress-related behaviors remain common, and they are still ultimately slaughtered when their productivity declines.

If Marriott truly wants to help chickens, I encourage you to offer vegan JUST Egg at all Marriott properties. Providing guests with a delicious, high-protein, vegan breakfast option would spare countless animals while meeting the growing demand for more sustainable and compassionate food choices. And PETA will praise the move widely to our over 10 million followers on social media and beyond!

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you’ll watch the video and consider this opportunity to make a meaningful difference for chickens.

Sincerely,

James Cromwell
Honorary Director

PETA