Thandie Newton Calls On All Moms to Go Dairy-Free— For Mother Cows’ Sake

The Slap Star Exposes Shocking Cruelty to Cows and Calves in New PETA U.K. Video

For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2015

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

“As a mother, I can’t imagine what it would be like to have my children taken away from me,” begins The Slap and The Pursuit of Happyness star Thandie Newton in her new video for PETA U.K., “but this is what happens to cows on dairy farms every single day.” That’s why Newton is asking all mothers to show compassion for mother cows by ditching dairy products.

In the video, Newton, a mother of three, goes on to reveal how newborn calves are taken away from their mothers so that the milk that was meant for them can be consumed by humans instead.

“The cow bellows and the calf cries pitifully when they’re separated, and these cries can go on for several days,” continues Newton. “Female cows have even been known to jump fences, escaping from their enclosures and walking for miles looking for their calves.”

Male calves, who are considered a byproduct of the dairy industry, may be shot in the head shortly after birth or sentenced to a short, miserable life before being killed and carved up as veal. Most female calves are destined for the same fate as their mothers, enduring repeated artificial insemination until their bodies give out and they’re slaughtered for cheap meat.

“Please, join me in standing up for all mothers by refusing to support the cruel dairy industry,” concludes Newton. “You can help [cows] simply by choosing plant-based alternatives, such as soya, almond, hazelnut, rice, coconut, or, my favorite, oat milk.”

Newton is part of a growing list of celebrities—including Emily Deschanel, Tia Mowry, Mayim Bialik, Kimberly Elise, and Alicia Silverstone—who have teamed up with PETA or PETA U.K. to promote the groups’ mottos, which reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat.”

For more information, please visit PETA.org.