Actress and social justice activist Rosario Dawson is officially vegan according to her boyfriend, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. In 2019, Dawson revealed that she began transitioning to a plant-based, mostly raw, diet as a means to fight stress and as a form of self-care. Dawson and Booker—who went vegan in 2014—have been dating for several years and the couple recently began living together.
“She came to [veganism] on her own, which is great because we have, during the time of COVID, been working on cooking together a lot more,” Booker told People. The couple is removing processed foods from their diets and experimenting in the kitchen with new tools and meals. “Literally she just bought a food processor, a Cuisinart thing, for our kitchen yesterday,” Booker said. “So I’m very excited about just expanding my capability to make delicious, healthy, whole plant-based food at home.”
Dawson made her feature film debut in 1995 cult-classic Kids and has since appeared in a wide variety of films, animated series, and television shows. Currently, Dawnson serves as a judge on extreme talent reality series Go-Big Show—which debuted on TBS in January.
Dawson and Booker’s climate activism
Earlier this year, the 41-year-old actress appeared in the educational version of climate change documentary Kiss the Ground which is narrated by vegan actor Woody Harrelson and includes other big names such as actors Ian Somerhalder, Patricia Arquette, David Arquette, model Gisele Bündchen, and musician Jason Mraz. “I feel something coming in this country and this incredible film is such a powerful contribution,” Booker said about Kiss the Ground. “I just think that this is a time where all of us have the power to choose right now, to surrender and accept things as they are, or be a part of the way things can, should, and must be.”
In February, Booker was appointed to the Senate Agriculture Committee—becoming the first vegan Senator to serve on the committee. In addition to his dedication to veganism, the 51-year-old Senator is a longtime advocate for reforming agricultural systems, particularly factory farming, to create a more equitable food system for people and animals. In 2019, Booker proposed the Farm System Reform Act (FSRA), a bill that aims to transition animal agriculture away from factory farming, which has since gained support from other Congress members, including Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and House Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA).
“We are a nation that has to lead with love, and the way we’re living right now is a violation of love for each other, for our environment, for those who struggle often in shadows—be it the farmer, who’s losing their farm because of corporate concentration, all the way to the consumers who are struggling with sickness and illness, that’s entirely preventable,” Booker said. “I am going to do everything I can with every fiber of my being to heal this broken system.”
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