Pharrell Williams Accosted By PETA Activist At LEGO Movie Screening
Pharrell Williams faced an unexpected interruption when he was accosted by a PETA activist during the premiere of his Lego biopic, Piece by Piece.
On Tuesday (Sept. 10), the renowned artist was confronted by a PETA activist while addressing the audience during a Q&A session at the Toronto International Film Festival. The person criticized his use of animal fur and skin in his Louis Vuitton collection.
The protester approached the stage, passionately condemning Williams’ fashion choices. “Your Louis Vuitton collection… Pharrell’s collection is made from their blood,” she shouted, alleging that ostriches were subjected to inhumane treatment in the production process.
“Pharrell, stop torturing animals! Ostriches are being hung upside down, electrocuted with their necks slit!” Williams, the creative director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line, remained composed, responding, “You’re right, you’re right, God bless you, it’s OK.”
As the protester was escorted out, she continued her cries, demanding an end to what she described as animal cruelty. Turning to the audience, Williams addressed the disruption with a measured response. “Rome wasn’t made in a day,” he said, highlighting the complexities involved in driving change.
“Sometimes, when you have plans to change things and situations, you have to get in a situation of power and influence where you can change people’s minds and help progression.”
He further noted, “That is not necessarily the way to do it… When I have conversations on behalf of organizations like that, they come out here and do themselves a disservice.”
Williams assured the audience that he is actively working on addressing the concerns raised. “But that’s OK, when that change comes, everybody in this room will remember that I told you, we are actually working on that,” he added. “If she would’ve just asked me, I would’ve told her. But instead, she wanted to repeat herself.”
Following the event, PETA shared a clip of the confrontation on Instagram, urging Williams to “do the right thing” and reconsider his use of animal products.
Williams has become a target of PETA’s efforts as of late, as protesters showed up with signs that read “Fur Is Dead” and “Pharrell: Stop Killing Animals for Fashion” during a Piece by Piece screening this past Saturday (Sept. 7).
See video of Pharrell Williams’ interaction with the PETA activist here.
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