Young Hollywood Starlet Goes Vegan for the Animals

In a recent interview, actress Harley Quinn Smith—daughter of Kevin Smith, who directed cult classic films such as Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Clerks, and Dogma—announced that she went vegan four months ago. The 17-year-old actress reveals that her decision was inspired by her connection with animals. “I’ve always had such a passion for helping [animals], so as I got older and expanded my knowledge of how cruel the meat [and] dairy industr[ies] are,” Smith says, “I decided that it would be worth the sacrifice if it would mean that I would be helping animals in a very significant way.” Smith admitted that giving up ice cream and cheese was initially difficult but finds that the abundance of vegan options makes it easy to move on from animal products. Young actors and social media influencers—such as Ricky Dillon, Carli Bybel, and Lohanthony—have all transitioned to veganism and, as a generation, have been credited for the decreased demand of dairy and other animal products.