Keltie Knight Would ‘Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur’

Dancer and Insider Correspondent Gives the Inside Scoop on Why Fur Belongs on Animals—Not in Your Wardrobe

For Immediate Release:
May 5, 2014

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Wearing nothing but a smile, Insider correspondent and former member of the Rockettes Keltie Knight shows off her dancer’s physique in a brand-new PETA ad that proudly proclaims, “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur.” The ad, which was shot by top photographer Jonathan Weiner and is available here, goes on to encourage, “Be comfortable in your own skin, and let animals keep theirs.”

In an exclusive interview with PETA, Knight opens up about why she decided to bare it all for the latest ad—which debuted Friday night on The Insider—in PETA’s iconic campaign. “It’s something that I would never normally do, but having the platform of being on The Insider, I’m able to really draw attention to the good work that PETA’s doing,” she says. “It’s millions of eyeballs that are going to sit down for dinner that night when our show airs and be able to really think about the choices that they’re making.”

And Knight hopes that viewers will choose not to wear fur. “It’s the simplest step that everyone can take,” she says. “It is gruesome and ugly and horrible what these animals go through, and I think if anyone educated themselves, they wouldn’t wear it.”

Every year, millions of raccoons, foxes, minks, rabbits, and even dogs and cats are caged, bludgeoned, electrocuted, and skinned alive for their fur. Fortunately, many top designers and retailers—including Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein, Forever 21, and Tommy Hilfiger—are 100 percent fur-free.

In her interview, Knight—who performed around the world as part of the Rockettes and as a back-up dancer for Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and others—also opens up about why she went vegan, her efforts to shop cruelty-free, and more.

She joins a growing list of celebrities—including Taraji P. Henson, Penélope Cruz, Eva Mendes, Wendy Williams, Olivia Munn, and Joanna Krupa—who have bared it all for PETA’s anti-fur campaigns.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or click here.