Petition Launched After Ellen Adds Leather to Line

Animal activist group Global Conservation Group has created a Change.org petition urging vegan television host Ellen DeGeneres to pull leather from her ED by Ellen fashion line. The brand, which recently announced it will introduce suede and leather shoes this spring, features home accessories such as farmed-animal printed coasters, sweaters with pig designs, and bracelets printed with the words “happiness” and “kindness” alongside merino wool jackets. The online backlash stems from the fact that DeGeneres has built a brand with a foundation of her compassionate views regarding animal rights, as evidence by EllenTV.com—her website dedicated to healthy living where she regularly features vegan recipes, famous vegans, and rescued farm animals. In its petition, Global Conservation Group reminds DeGeneres that “it’s not uncommon for animals killed for leather to be skinned alive while fully conscious.”