A-list actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish created a stir over the weekend after announcing that she will protest law enforcement “killing black people” by continuing to wear fur, garnering scorn and praise from fellow African-American entertainers.
“I’mma wear it as much as possible. I don’t know if you guys know this about me, but I’m about to start protesting,” Tiffany Haddish said in a video posted to Instagram Sunday. “I’mma wear fur every day until they stop killing black people. When the police stop killing black people, I’ll stop wearing fur. It’s my new protest. So sorry, PETA! Don’t be mad at me. Be mad at the police. When they stop killing black people, I’ll stop wearing fur… Because people are important, and so are the animals.”
Hip-hop mogul and longtime vegan Russell Simmons criticized Haddish, writing in the video’s comment section: “White supremacy is a disease that takes on many forms and has many symptoms.”
“The abuse of other beings will not address that… or heal ourselves,” Simmons continued. “I love you Tiffany but I wish you would reconsider this route of protest.”
Conversely, The Vampire Diaries actor Kendrick Sampson lauded the 39-year-old star, referring to her protest as “genius.”
“Look at all the people pissed at this that haven’t ever stood up for Black lives,” said Sampson, who is frequently referred to as Lyft Bae. “Look at the funding behind PETA and other animal rights organizations and how many people will post about a polar bear or a dog before the post about the ongoing centuries’ old epidemic of black/native/brown people being killed and tortured by law enforcement (and others) with impunity.”
In addition to Sampson, other Hollywood celebrities including rapper-actor Nick Cannon and reality-star NeNe Leakes expressed support for Haddish, reports the New York Post.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has yet to issue a statement regarding Haddish’s remarks.