Following veganism has become a trend these days. People are getting aware of animal cruelty and putting their efforts to save the environment in any way. While some are banning the usage of animal products, others are encouraging everyone to go vegan. For instance, celebs like Jennifer Lopez and Lewis Hamilton are promoting veganism while sharing their vegan transformation stories.

Recently, the story of Joaquin Phoenix is trending over the internet. He is not only popular for his acting but also gained recognition for his animal rights advocacy. He is following a vegan diet since he was three years old and even joined the campaigns with PETA and In Defense of Animals. In 2019, he was named PETA’s person of the year.

Joaquin Phoenix and His Story of Being a Vegan

He is an avid animal rights activist and recently made headlines at the 92nd Academy Awards. During his acceptance speech, he said,

“I think we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable.”

He added,

“We fear the idea of personal change because we think we need to sacrifice something; to give something up. But human beings at our best are so creative and inventive, and we can create, develop, and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and the environment.”

You won’t believe it, after a few hours he ended his speech, he rescued a cow and her calf from a slaughterhouse during a tour organized by animal rights organization - Los Angeles Animal Save.

During the pig vigil, he provided water and comforted pigs on their way to slaughter. When he was asked why he continues to save animals on their way to slaughter, he said-

“Because I have to.”

He added-

“Most people don’t really know of the torture and murder in the meat and dairy industry.”

When he was three or four years old, he witnessed how badly people treated animals for food. He added-

“I’ve been vegan since I was three years old. And at that age, me and my siblings witnessed fish being killed in a really violent and aggressive way.

It was just absolutely obvious that that was something we didn’t want to participate in. I don’t want to cause pain to another living, empathetic creature.”

He explained-

“I don’t want to force [an animal] to be indoors and fattened up just to be slaughtered. It is absurd and barbaric. I just thought it was such a gross abuse of power in a way. We said to our parents, ‘Why didn’t you tell us?’ I remember my mom’s face, I remember her crying. She didn’t know how to answer. It became very obvious we weren’t going to eat meat anymore.”

He is an animal rights campaigner and loses no chance to speak against the atrocities of animals.

Final Words

Whether you are a vegan or planning to follow a vegan diet soon, make sure that you know these life-transforming benefits of being a vegan. Not only Joaquin Phoenix is a vegan for ages, but other celebs like Miley Cyrus and Bryan Adams have turned into a vegan for good reasons.