A PETA protestor brandishing a sign that read “Pharrell: Stop Supporting Killing Animals for Fashion” disrupted the premiere of the Pharrell Williams animated Lego biopic Piece by Piece at the Toronto International Film Festival. The interruption came as the musician and Louis Vuitton men’s creative director answered questions following the screening of the film, at which time he attempted to reason with them.
“Your Louis Vuitton collection … Pharrell’s collection is made from their blood,” the protester yelled to the theater. “Pharrell stop torturing animals! Ostriches are being hung upside down, electrocuted with their necks slit.” PETA has pushed back on Louis Vuitton’s use of fur and wildlife skins, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Do the right thing and switch to faux & vegan alternatives NOW!”
Pharrell Williams addresses PETA protestor at his film premiere:
“We’re actually working on that. And if she would’ve just asked me, I would’ve told her. But instead, she wanted to repeat herself.” pic.twitter.com/4iOBipTQOt
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 11, 2024
In response, Williams walked to the edge of the stage and said, “You’re right, you’re right.” He then led the crowd in offering the protester a collective “God bless you” as they continued their “Pharrell stop torturing animals” chant. “Yes, I have,” Williams told them.
After security removed the protester from the theater, Williams addressed the audience. “That is not necessarily the way to do it, and sitting in my position, when I have conversations on behalf of organizations like that unbeknownst to them, they come out here and do themselves a disservice,” he said. “But that’s OK. When that change comes, everybody in this room will remember that I told you we are actually working on that. And if she would’ve just asked me, I would’ve told her. But instead, she wanted to repeat herself.”
Williams was named men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton in February 2023, succeeding the late Virgil Abloh. His first collection debuted at Paris Fashion Week last June, offering the first glimpse into the future of the luxury fashion house.
“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,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman shared in a statement to Variety. “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.”
