Pharrell Williams recently found himself the target of a PETA protester, and rather than allowing his team to manage the situation, he chose to confront the individual directly.
During the premiere of his animated Lego film, “Piece by Piece,” at the Toronto International Film Festival, Pharrell was on stage when a woman interrupted the event. As the singer and Louis Vuitton men’s creative director attempted to engage with the audience following the film’s screening, the protester shouted, “Your Louis Vuitton collection … Pharrell’s collection is made from their blood. Pharrell, stop torturing animals! Ostriches are being hung upside down, electrocuted with their necks slit.”
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In a poised response, Williams gracefully approached the edge of the stage and acknowledged the protester, saying, “You’re right, you’re right.” He then encouraged the audience to join him in offering a collective “God bless you” as the woman continued chanting, “Pharrell, stop torturing animals.” In a candid moment, Williams admitted, “Yes, I have,” referencing the claims made by the protester. Although the woman was eventually escorted out of the venue, Pharrell chose to address the audience further.
“That is not necessarily the way to do it,” he stated. “From my position, when I engage in conversations on behalf of organizations like that, they often come out here and do themselves a disservice, unbeknownst to them.” He continued, “But that’s okay. When that change comes, everybody in this room will remember that I told you we are actually working on that. If she would’ve just asked me, I would’ve told her. But instead, she wanted to repeat herself.”
In the aftermath of the incident, PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman shared a statement with “Variety,” expressing, “We would be happy to stop disrupting Pharrell’s appearances, but despite a lot of lip service, he’s yet to ditch fur and exotic skins. Pharrell can decide in a heartbeat, today, to use his power for good and stop being complicit in cruelty—it’s quite easy to be kind.”