6 blistering hot takes that prove there’s no ‘right’ way to be vegan

From veganfoodandliving.com

From gatekeeping vegan language to sharing our lives with meat eaters, here are some of the spiciest vegan hot takes found on Reddit

When people think of the vegan community, they often imagine a united front of absolute moral consistency. But if you peer into the inner circles of vegan Reddit, you’ll find fierce, high-heat debates about what it actually means to live an ethical life.

A recent thread on r/vegan asked users to share their “EXTREMELY SPICY vegan hot takes that will totally get you downvoted.” The compiled receipts prove that modern veganism is about more than what’s on your plate. It’s a complicated, and often contradictory, tangle of pragmatism, purism, and intense human politics.

From the ethics of dating meat eaters to a surprisingly vicious debate over oat milk, here are six of the spiciest ‘vegan hot takes’ from the thread.

                                                      Photo © diy13/Adobe Stock

1. ‘Baby steps’ are just fine

The thread’s original poster (OP) kicked off the discussion with a take that immediately divided the community on the psychology of change, using an extreme analogy to drive the point home.

u/Borgato posted: “I’ll go first: baby steps are absolutely ok and should be encouraged if people feel they aren’t ready to go full vegan. ‘Oh so you should be celebrated for beating your wife 2 days a week rather than 6?’ YES.”

While many users agreed with the underlying logic of harm reduction, some called out the comparison, with u/Senior_Army5086 describing it as “crazy”.

“Domestic abusers should not be celebrated regardless of the frequency they do it,” they continued.

But u/Borkato defended their view, opining that there’s a difference between celebrating an individual’s actions and celebrating their efforts to cause less harm. “A murderer should be celebrated for reducing their murders to 1 when their urges told them to commit a terrorist attack,” they asserted.

2. Gatekeeping the word ‘vegan’ helps the vegan movement… except when it doesn’t

While a surprising number of users agreed with the OP’s vegan hot take, opinions were divided on whether the ‘baby steppers’ in question could call themselves vegan.

“‘Vegan except honey‘ or ‘vegan except eggs’ or ‘vegan except cheese’ isn’t a thing,” wrote u/xLilSquidgitx, while OP u/Borkato added that this should still be celebrated, “as long as they don’t say they’re vegan.”

They’re not necessarily wrong, as it’s not uncommon for people (including foodservice workers) to take veganism less seriously after encountering a ‘watered-down’, almost-vegan. Being served honey at a family gathering because “Auntie Muriel’s neighbour’s daughter is vegan and she eats honey” is not fun.

Many agreed that the word ‘vegan’ needed to be ‘gatekept’, as misuse of the term could dilute the cause. As u/Teddy-Bloat put it: “I don’t see any way in which letting the word vegan become meaningless is helpful to the movement or the animals.”

However, others jumped in to share their experience and reasons why they use the label ‘vegan’ when they aren’t fully there yet. u/GlowyStarMoss calls themself ‘vegan’ to avoid being served eggs or dairy at restaurants. “I am vegetarian technically (but don’t want either eggs or dairy),” they said.

“I do have honey, but it’s too hard to explain to people, so in order to avoid certain foods, I just say I’m vegan. Saying vegetarian just makes people be pushy with fish, dairy, eggs, etc., and I have no idea why lol.”

Meanwhile, u/miraculum_one came in with the true hot take: “gatekeeping the word ‘vegan’ is bad in every way and in every context that involves non-vegans.”

“There are effective ways to educate people,” they continued, “but pretending you don’t know what they’re saying because you refuse to accept an extremely common (mis-) use of the word is simply counterproductive and discredits whatever you’re trying to say.”

Proper use of the word 'vegan' was a divisive subject, but most agreed that "vegan except honey" is incorrect. Photo © Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock

3. Staying close to meat eaters helps the animals

While some corners of the internet advocate for cutting off non-vegans entirely, several users argued that isolationism is a massive strategic failure.

“From my experience it has helped me educate people on veganism,” said u/shredhedz, “I have many friends who have gone vegan/are eating less animals because of me!”

The thread OP agreed, recalling being told that the common vegan dream of moving to an all-vegan community would actually be “worse for the animals compared to hanging out with non-vegans and getting them to avoid animal products,” saying that it “really blew my mind because it’s completely true.”

Although it’s pretty mild to say that we can form close relationships with non-vegans when they are willing to learn from our ethical choices, u/Spaceward_Bound turned up the heat with this spicy take:

“It’s completely fine to have non-vegan friends with no plans on challenging their views. [I] live with three other people in student housing, they know I’m vegan, they’re not, never talk about it unless it comes up casually. We get on just fine.”

While some thought being friends with non-vegans was an opportunity to change their minds, others would rather keep the 'peace'. Photo © Dorde/Adobe Stock

4. We need to stop treating vegetarians as the enemy

The rivalry between vegans and vegetarians is legendary online, though rarely experienced in the real world. But the debate cropped up in this thread too, with commenters falling on both sides.

It started with u/Agitated_Leopard_765 stating that “vegetarians are allies,” to which u/Im_so_lucky_ agreed, “exactly. Every little bit helps.”

Others blamed ignorance of the true nature of the dairy industry for vegetarians’ continued use of animal products, with u/Foodworksurunga excusing vegetarians because “The dairy industry propaganda is very strong.”

But not everyone agrees. u/Mcjuliamc believes that “vegetarians support just as horrible of an industry as other non-vegans.”

“They only cut out one harmful industry,” they said. “Imagine if we praised lactose-intolerant people just because they don’t buy dairy when they buy meat, eggs, …”

However, the vision of a cheese-munching, milk-guzzling vegetarian may not be accurate. After confirming that vegetarians do indeed get flak from both meat-eaters and vegans, vegetarian u/TheoryCapable7894 caveated that they “think the stereotype of vegetarians eating a lot of dairy/cheese and wearing leather/animal products is kinda wrong.”

“I am a vegetarian yes, but I get all my important nutrition from plants, and do not wear leather at all by all means!”

5. ‘Owning’ pets is an ethical minefield

The ethics of pet ownership caused a massive rift, separating those who prioritise the animal in front of them from those looking at the big picture and the global supply chain.

Some believe that having pets at all is not vegan, like u/Snake_fairyofReddit, who said, “it limits the free will of an animal. The caveat is if the animal is injured and obviously needs assistance”.

Meanwhile, u/Future_Economics_849 thinks “having domesticated animals and releasing them ‘for their freedom’ is unbelievably cruel”.

Many users asserted that ‘forcing’ pets to be vegan was tantamount to animal abuse, particularly for cats. Among them was u/kiwiii66, who said: “An animal in your care should receive the best care you can reasonably provide.

“If you are intentionally shortening your cat’s life by feeding them a diet that is not meant for them, then you are an animal abuser.”

When it comes to caring for your companion animals, it seems there’s no winning in this thread. As u/Chimpnimskey questioned: “Isn’t buying food made from animals… also animal abuse?”

They continued: “Though it’s shortening your cat’s life by a couple of years at worst (and extending it, at best) with a carefully planned plant-based diet, a lesser crime than killing many chickens and fish for their cat food?”

But u/Vegetable_Doubt3996 came in hot with a solution, saying, “If you can’t purchase the proper food for your pet due to ethical concerns, then don’t get a pet imo.

“Would you get a snake or a spider and force them to be plant-based? Both are obligate carnivores and cannot digest plants (the same way we can’t digest grass while other animals can)”.

While opinions varied on whether keeping pets was okay, most agreed that we shouldn't 'force' cats to be vegan. Photo © gitusik/Adobe Stock

6. Oat milk isn’t that great

The thread wasn’t entirely focused on serious topics. The community also engaged in a lighthearted, but truly vicious, battle over plant milks.

u/betch opened the discussion with this bold claim: “Oat milk is the most vile and disgusting product I’ve ever had the displeasure of tasting. It ruins everything it touches and it’s mere existence infuriates me to my core”

In response, u/cali86 lashed out with the phrase “I bet you love soy milk, lol,” sounding almost like an insult.

“I drink soy milk because it’s healthy,” they continued, “but it blows my mind how not versatile it is because of the after taste. It just doesn’t pair well with anything other than maybe cereal. It’s terrible for cooking, with coffee, desserts, etc.”

But u/betch was ready with their answer: “Every plant milk serves a purpose in certain settings and for me, Almond milk is king. Coconut, soy, cashew, rice, hemp milk… all wonderful.

“Oat milk tastes rancid and slimy.” They concluded, doubling down on what one commenter described as an “Indian level spicy take.”

A plethora of other users disagreed, defending their favourite plant milk with reasons varying from it being the only one suitable for their allergies to just liking the taste.

However, while I’d never go so far as to insult the taste or texture of oat milk, this author can’t help but secretly agree. As a long-time lover of a soya latte, I’m tired of coffee shops that offer only oat milk as a plant-based alternative!

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/vegan-hot-takes/ 

New Study Finds More Additives in Plant-Based Foods, Here’s What Gets Left Out

From vegconomist.com

A new analysis published in the journal Food Additives & Contaminants has found that plant-based products sold in a UK supermarket contained roughly twice as many food additives as the animal-based products they were designed to replace, a finding that has circulated widely online over the past week, often without the context the study’s own authors attached to it.

“Even though we found that plant-based products had more food additives this does not necessarily mean an increased health risk”

Researchers from the UK paired 71 plant-based products with comparable animal-based equivalents sold by the same retailer, then classified each ingredient using the UK Food Standards Agency’s additive list. The plant-based range used a combined 199 food additives across all products compared with 100 in the animal-based range, and contained 39 distinct types of additive against 31 in the animal-based set. The gap was widest in dairy, meat, and fish alternatives, where additives are typically used to replicate texture, colour, and mouthfeel. Notably, the animal-based dairy products in the sample used no additives at all.

                                                                                                     Image: Dollar Gill on Unsplash

Researchers say the number alone says little

Senior author Joseph Whittaker, a lecturer at ION, was explicit that the additive count does not translate to a health risk. “However, even though we found that plant-based products had more food additives this does not necessarily mean an increased health risk,” he said

“First, we only analysed one product range so we can’t make generalisations to all plant-based products. Second, we didn’t assess the quantity or concentration of food additives used, nor how much or how often people eat these products, so, essentially, we don’t know the level of exposure of food additives from these products. And last, all food additives used in these products have passed UK food safety regulations.”

What the additive count leaves out

The comparison measures formulation only, not the wider profile of either food category. Additive counts do not factor in other variables associated with animal agriculture, such as antibiotic use linked to antimicrobial resistance, and the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies processed meat as carcinogenic to humans and red meat as probably carcinogenic. Such factors fall outside the scope of an ingredient-list comparison.

The study also does not address overall dietary patterns. Plant-based and vegan diets are not defined solely by consumption of meat or dairy alternatives; for many who follow a whole-food, plant-based diet, staples such as beans, lentils, grains, vegetables, and fruit make up the majority of intake, and these foods carry no additives by nature. Processed plant-based alternatives are, for many consumers, an occasional addition rather than a dietary foundation, comparable to how processed convenience foods function within an omnivorous diet. A study measuring additive counts in matched convenience products does not reflect overall dietary composition for either group.

The authors of the study note that their findings are limited to a single supermarket range and call for further research across other retailers and countries before any broader conclusions are drawn.

https://vegconomist.com/studies-numbers/new-study-finds-more-additives-plant-based-foods-heres-what-gets-left-out/ 

A beautiful, rich life

From koreatimes.co.kr 

Kim Sun-ae (blog.naver.com/everythingchanges) wrote “Love without Hesitation” and translated “Little Lord Fauntleroy.”

We met in a theatre class in college and became friends. Thanks to the friend who was a vegetarian, I became interested in veganism and began to read related books. I came to know how animals are raised and killed in the factory farming system, one of the major causes of ecosystem destruction. I gradually went vegan.

Some people may think that going vegan will limit their lives. Nonetheless, it can be a way to live a beautiful, rich life.

Two years ago, I stayed in Sinwol-ri in Inje, Gangwon Province. In the rural village, there was a sanctuary for five cows who were rescued from an unlicensed dog farm. Villagers and young vegan people were building a vegan community together. That autumn, I had an opportunity to experience rural life in the village with other vegans.

Our mentor in the village said, “You can harvest any vegetables in my field freely.” We sometimes cooked and ate the fresh vegetables together. All the participants and our mentor were good chefs. They made sprout bibimbap with lettuce and pancakes with yellow squash flowers. The dishes they made included but were not limited to perilla seed seaweed soup, potato stew, tomato cucumber salad, mushroom vegetable gimbap and "ssambap" (leaf wraps and rice).

On the day when journalists came to Sinwol-ri to report on the vegan village, all of us enjoyed a vegan feast together thanks to the villagers who cooked pan-fried tofu, "japchae" (stir-fried glass noodles) and various seasoned vegetables. We also made injeolmi (bean-powder-coated rice cake) together. Staying in the village, we experienced the joy of harvesting beautiful, fresh vegetables and eating diverse colourful vegan dishes.

Have you ever met the animals we eat, such as cows, pigs or chickens, as living beings? Like many other people, I rarely had such an experience. In Sinwol-ri, however, I met the five rescued cows. When I approached them, they came near to me with gentle eyes. When I gave them hay, they chewed it slowly.

We have thought that nonhuman animals’ suffering is separate from our suffering. Nevertheless, factory farming causes ecosystem destruction and the climate crisis, as well as the suffering of nonhuman animals. This ultimately leads to our suffering.

Going vegan means to see how we have treated numerous nonhuman animals and what consequences it has caused, and to change ourselves first in order to make this world better. I want to respect more living beings, living in harmony with them. Feeling connected with other beings makes our lives richer.

What if we end factory farming and the vast land where trees were cut down for feed cultivation and slaughter houses becomes green forests again? Humans can destroy the Earth but are also beautiful beings who can restore it with love. We can make a better choice both for ourselves and all the other beings.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/opinion/20260629/a-beautiful-rich-life

Half of Young Indians Open to Veganism, but Lack of Information Holds Them Back, Faunalytics Finds

From vegconomist.com

A lack of practical information about plant-based eating is a bigger obstacle to veganism among young Indians than cultural attachment to dairy, according to new research from animal advocacy research non-profit Faunalytics.

The study, titled “The Multi-Generational Kitchen: How To Market Plant-Based Eating To Indian Gen Z Households,” surveyed 801 adults aged 18 to 28 who live with their parents. It found that 58% of respondents already identify as some form of meat-reducer, including vegans, vegetarians, pescetarians, and reducetarians, against 42% who identify as omnivores. Among non-vegan respondents, half said they were likely to adopt a vegan diet within the next year, and 53% believed their parents were likely to do the same.

Image: Thirdman on Pexels

Five barriers, one dominant theme

Needing more information about plant-based diets was the most commonly cited barrier, named by 59% of respondents. It outranked viewing dairy as part of cultural identity (54%), the inconvenience of more frequent grocery shopping (53%), personal health concerns (52%), and a shortage of dining-out options (52%). Only 37% said they worried that going vegan would be seen as abandoning Indian culture for a Western lifestyle, a result the researchers say runs against the assumption that cultural resistance is the primary obstacle to plant-based adoption in the country.

© Faunalytics

Three consumer segments

Respondents were grouped into three categories. Indifferent consumers, the largest segment at 46%, showed the least motivation and the lowest household influence over food decisions. Constrained consumers (33%) were motivated to change but faced the most practical barriers. Game-changers (22%) were the most receptive to veganism overall, skewing female, older, more educated, and higher-income.

Mothers still run the kitchen

While 40% of respondents said they were primarily responsible for grocery shopping, mothers remained the main decision-makers for cooking (57%) and meal planning (39%). Household friction over food choices appeared limited: 59% said it was easy to discuss diet with family, and only 26% reported frequent disagreements.

© Faunalytics

Market implications

Faunalytics found that around half of respondents already consume plant-based dairy alternatives like ghee, yogurt, milk, and cheese on a regular or occasional basis, despite dairy ranking as the second most common barrier to plant-based eating overall. Based on that gap, the organization recommends that companies market dairy alternatives as a form of “traditional” protein rather than as “dairy-free,” paired with imagery of multi-generational families using plant-based alternatives in familiar dishes. It also points to health and fitness influencers as carrying more sway over this group’s dietary habits than other categories of public figures.

The findings add to a growing body of data on Indian attitudes toward plant-based eating, a market Faunalytics flagged as critically underrepresented in global veganism datasets in an April report.

Dr. Andrea Polanco, the study’s lead author and a research scientist at Faunalytics, stated, “These numbers signal a meaningful shift in how young Indians are thinking about food. Gen Z in India is a huge demographic, and our data suggests they’re far more open to plant-based eating than conventional wisdom might assume, but they need better information and practical tools to get there.”

https://vegconomist.com/studies-numbers/half-young-indians-open-veganism-lack-information-holds-them-back-faunalytics-finds/ 

Famous Faces Who Are Vegan and Inspired Millions to Be the Same

From peta.org

Joaquin Phoenix, Billie Eilish, and Pamela Anderson are just a few of the many public figures who are vegan—and inspire others to be vegan, too.

Every person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year. And when someone inspires others to do the same, that impact multiplies fast.

That’s the power of visibility. When celebrities choose compassion and use their platforms to talk about it, the effect is a tidal wave of change. Their choices spark conversations, shift norms, and make being vegan more accessible, more joyful, and more mainstream than ever before.

Meet some of today’s animal-advocating icons making the world a kinder place.

Joaquin Phoenix

“When we look at the world through another animal’s eyes, we see that inside we’re all the same—and that we all deserve to live free from suffering,” says Phoenix, who has been vegan since he was just three years old. A major Hollywood force known for transformative roles like Her and Joker, Phoenix has used his massive platform to speak up for animals for decades. He’s starred in many powerful PETA campaigns like “We Are All Animals,” reminding audiences that we all feel, and we all deserve respect and compassion. He’s taken on the wool industry in his “Cruelty Doesn’t Suit Me” ad, and even “drowned” onscreen to show how fish typically suffer in their final moments when fishing nets tear them from their ocean homes.

RZA

Legendary rapper and Wu-Tang Clan founding member RZA has been vegan since around 2000—and he’s used his influence to encourage his fans around the world to eat with empathy and intention.

Through his work with PETA—including the campaign “A Better Tomorrow Is a Vegan Tomorrow”—he’s shared a straightforward truth: It doesn’t make sense to put dead flesh into a live body.

Pamela Anderson

Who could forget PETA’s iconic “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign, the cultural flashpoint that signalled the beginning of the end for the fur industry? Pamela Anderson, PETA honorary director, was one of the first celebrities to front it, baring all at the height of her Baywatch fame and helping catapult animal rights into the mainstream.

Vegan since the 1990s, she’s used her platform ever since to challenge cruelty in food, fashion, and beyond. She’s taken her advocacy straight to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, urging him to remove foie gras from the menu at his flagship London restaurant in favour of faux gras for World Vegan Month. She’s also brought it into everyday life with her cookbook, I Love You: Recipes from the Heart, inviting readers into her kitchen with 80 soul-nourishing vegan recipes.

James Cromwell

Cromwell went vegan while filming Babe in 1995, a turning point that forever changed how he saw animals. For decades, he’s lived by a simple truth: Pigs, fish, cows, and chickens are someone, not something.

And he hasn’t stayed quiet. His compassion has shown up in bold, headline-making ways, from supergluing his hand to a Starbucks counter to protest unfair vegan upcharges (now a thing of the past), to standing with a megaphone right in front of a SeaWorld tank imprisoning orcas. He even ceremoniously discarded his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Humane Society of the United States (now Humane World for Animals) because its leaders sat on—and have since left!— the board of the Global Animal Partnership, the group behind misleading “animal welfare certified” labels.

In recognition of his dedication to animal liberation, we named our Los Angeles headquarters the James Cromwell Empathy Center—a fitting tribute to a voice that’s never wavered.

Billie Eilish

“Eating meat is inherently wrong … You can eat meat … You can love animals. But you can’t do both,” said Eilish, who took the heat and still proudly doubled down. Vegan since early childhood, the global superstar has used her platform to push that message far beyond interviews. Named PETA’s 2021 Person of the Year, Eilish has consistently turned influence into action, from agreeing to wear an Oscar de la Renta gown to the Met Gala only if the brand banned fur (it did), to launching a vegan Air Jordan collection with Nike. She’s brought the conversation to film as both an executive producer and a featured voice in They’re Trying to Kill Us, a documentary examining racial inequality in the food system, and into everyday life with her own vegan fragrance and plant-based chocolate bar.

For Eilish, advocacy for our fellow animals isn’t a side note, it’s woven into everything she creates, proving that compassion can be just as influential as chart-topping success.

Lewis Hamilton

Seven-time Formula One World Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton doesn’t just race at the front of the grid—he’s also driving a powerful movement for animals. Vegan since 2017, he made the switch because of “[a]nimal cruelty, global warming and our personal health.” Named PETA’s 2018 Person of the Year, Hamilton consistently champions vegan living, urging fans, “Please find it in your heart to not support this horrific cruelty and go plant-based!”

Alicia Silverstone

Vegan for more than 25 years, Alicia Silverstone has long made compassion her signature on- and off-screen. In her book The Kind Diet, she shares the personal awakening that led her to kind eating, saying, “you can heal yourself eating this way.”

A long-time PETA supporter, she’s brought that message to bold, unforgettable campaigns like “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Wool” and “Don’t Be a Prick—Wear Vegan,” promoting vegan leather made from cactus. For Silverstone, being vegan isn’t just a philosophy; it’s a path to personal well-being and a more compassionate world.

Tabitha Brown

Vegan influencer, actor, and “America’s mom,” Brown helped make vegan go viral, and, in 2020, PETA named her our Person of the Year. With her signature warmth and joy, she inspires millions to extend compassion to all individuals, one delicious recipe at a time. “I love people and animals, so my mission is to get people healthier by not eating animals or animal products. The more people I get to try a vegan lifestyle, the more animal lives I save in the process! It’s a win-win,” she told Chowhound.

Brown’s journey began after her daughter, Choyce, encouraged her to watch the documentary What the Health. After experiencing the health benefits of going vegan firsthand, she started sharing her story—and her mouthwatering recipes—with the world. From her viral review of Whole Foods’ TTLA (tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce, and avocado) sandwich to her fan-favourite vegan mac and cheese, her infectious joy and flavourful creations have shown that living compassionately can be as satisfying as it is sustainable. She’s also brought her mission to the mainstream through major collaborations, including a Target line featuring vegan foods, kitchen essentials.  Like so, like that!

Emily Deschanel

Bones star Deschanel has been vegan since her teens, a decision sparked by the documentary Diet for a New America. Ever since, she’s used her platform to connect the dots between animals, the environment, and our everyday choices.

In PETA’s “Meat’s Not Green” campaign, she delivered a clear message: There’s no such thing as a meat-eating environmentalist. Highlighting the massive environmental cost of animal agriculture, she points out that going vegan can have a greater impact against the climate catastrophe than driving a hybrid or switching to energy-efficient light bulbs.

Pinky Cole

Star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta season 17 and founder of the wildly popular Slutty Vegan, Aisha “Pinky” Cole has turned animal-friendly eating into a full-on cultural movement. Since launching the Atlanta-based burger chain in 2018, she’s built a phenomenon known for its indulgent comfort food, bold branding, and electric, can’t-miss atmosphere—all vegan.

But for Cole, it’s about more than the hype. She’s raising her children vegan, too, prioritizing compassion from the very beginning. “I don’t play about my lifestyle. I read the back of every label, the back of every box, [and] I’m always in the produce aisle,” she says. “I want my children to be able to follow in my footsteps and live a more conscious life.”

Through every burger, business move, and message, Cole makes vegan food more visible, celebratory, and easy to say “yes” to.

Photo: © Tropico

Cory Booker

American senator, lawyer, animal advocate, and recipient of PETA’s 2025 Congressional Leadership Award, Booker has been vegan since 2014, using both his platform and policy work to push against cruelty and exploitation.

Booker has championed efforts to end cruel animal experimentation, co-sponsoring legislation like the CARGO Act to block U.S. funding for international animal testing and helping pass the FDA Modernization Act, which opens the door for non-animal methods in drug development. He’s also directly challenged federal agencies, like questioning the National Institutes of Health over funding for primate experiments and working to investigate and halt the kangaroo skin trade.

Evanna Lynch

Best known as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter franchise, Lynch has always loved doing good for animals and the planet. Vegan for nearly 13 years, she waves her wand against animal-abusing systems, reminding everyone that kind living is as simple as “swish” and “flick.”

She’s brought that message to bold, creative campaigns, including PETA’s parody “makeup tutorial” exposing the ugly side of cosmetics testing. And she doesn’t shy away from speaking her truth: “Killing and eating animals is a betrayal of our own core humanity,” she says.

Woody Harrelson

The odds are ever in animals’ favour when it comes to Harrelson. An outspoken vegan advocate, he traces his journey back to a chance encounter that changed everything. In one interview, he recalled cutting out dairy in his 20s after a stranger’s advice cleared up persistent skin and health issues. “By God she was right,” he said. That breakthrough led him to rethink his entire diet, ultimately ditching meat as well.

Since then, Harrelson has used his voice to bring others along, including encouraging fellow actor Sadie Sink to go vegan while they filmed The Glass Castle. It’s a domino effect in action—one choice leading to another, and another—proving how a single shift can spark lasting change for animals.

Daniella Monet

Known for her spunky role as Trina on Nickelodeon’s hit series Victorious, Monet has used her talents to champion animals and make vegan living feel effortless. Vegan since around her early teens, she once said she “didn’t even know it”—the transition came so naturally. Monet has brought that message front and centre in PETA campaigns, including one where she donned a mermaid tail to urge viewers to stop eating fish—animals who feel pain and fear when fishing nets tear them from their homes and families.

Monet shows her fans that going vegan is intuitive. And by sharing that message, she’s helping them see how easy it is to choose compassion.

Miyoko Schinner

Vegan for more than 40 years, Schinner has helped redefine what people think of as vegan food. A trailblazing chef and author of seven vegan cookbooks, she’s built a movement around rich, artisan dairy-free cheeses and butters that deliver top-tier flavour. At the same time, they spare gentle mother cows from an industry that tears their babies away and treats them like milk-producing machines.

Her most recent cookbook, The Vegan Creamery, invites readers to create their own dairy-free milks, butters, and cheeses at home, continuing her mission to make kind eating both accessible and irresistible. Across her work—from recipes to her “Phenomenally Vegan” tattoo—animals remain at the heart of everything she does.

“As I get older, I get bolder in sharing my personal mission,” she says, “… a lifestyle, a philosophy, a belief that all creatures are entitled to liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Photo: Food & Wine Magazine

Natalie Portman

Oscar-winning actor Portman is known for commanding the screen, and she brings that same presence to speaking up for animals.

As the narrator and co-producer of the 2017 documentary Eating Animals, she brings audiences face-to-face with the environmental, economic, and public health fallout of today’s farms, making the issue impossible to ignore.

She’s also turned to history to sharpen her message, starring in a PETA video honouring maverick writer and animal advocate Isaac Bashevis Singer. “Nowadays, many of us speak up for animals, but it wasn’t always like this,” Portman says. “Decades ago, one man articulated the plight of animals so boldly that the modern world couldn’t ignore him.”

Edie Falco

The Emmy-winning Sopranos actor doesn’t separate her career from her convictions. “I work with PETA. That’s one reason I became vegan,” she’s said. “It’s hard to justify working for animal rights when you eat animal-based foods.”

That clarity drives everything she does. Falco has spoken candidly about animal exploitation, saying, “Animals are mistreated in ways I had not imagined … If you don’t have respect for life of any kind, it will manifest in more obvious ways.” And she’s brought that message to the screen through a series of powerful PETA PSAs. In one striking Super Bowl–week TV spot, she took aim at the dairy industry, showing why it’s time for the “milk mafia” to finally get pinched.

Alan Cumming

In 2023, PETA honorary director Alan Cumming turned heads by posing nude, covered only by a single leaf of romaine. The ad read, “I’m the Vegan Option,” urging others to rethink who’s on their plate. He’s also blasted the animal-skins industry, promoting stylish, plant-made leathers, and has called on chains to offer vegan options—like his successful push for Dairy Queen to add dairy-free options.

Tig Notaro

Comedian and actor Tig Notaro has been vegan since 2017, and her reason is as straightforward as it gets. “I loved animals,” she said. “Still do; I’m vegan.”

True to form, Notaro keeps it simple: Compassion isn’t complicated, it’s a choice. And for her, it’s one worth sticking with.

Every Compassionate Choice Matters

You don’t have to be a celebrity to make a huge impact. You have the power to save animals yourself and to inspire others in your own community. Host vegan dinners and show others how delicious compassion can be. Talk to your friends and family about why you choose animals. Share your favourite meals, swaps, and vegan wins on social media. Every conversation, every post, every plate plants a seed.  

Spending just one day vegan easily turns into a week. Soon enough, it becomes part of your routine. As you continue, that caring choice means more pigs get to enjoy their playtime and exploration, more cows stay close with their calves, more chickens have the freedom to grow and socialize, and more fish swim happily in their ocean homes.

Let every meal become an act of respect for our fellow animals who want to live, to be safe, and to be free.

https://www.peta.org/features/famous-vegans-inspiring-millions/