Among many things, Millie Bobby Brown has become pretty well known for her love of animals.
For context, Millie has 62 (!!!!!) pets in total. She told BBC Radio 1 last year, “I have 25 farm animals, and then I have 23 foster dogs, and then I have 10 dogs in my house that are my personal dogs, and four cats.”
Millie also runs a nonprofit named Joey's Friends that rescues animals — primarily dogs — from high-kill shelters. Earlier this year, the Stranger Things star hosted the organization’s first inaugural gala, which she described on Instagram as “an incredible evening filled with community, compassion, and purpose.”
“Most importantly, we raised awareness for rescue dogs and the importance of second chances. This mission has always been rooted in love and continues as we work to find every dog the furever home they deserve,” she added.
With this in mind, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Millie appeared flustered when questioned about her love for animals and meat-eating habits during a lie detector test with her Enola Holmes costar Louis Partridge on July 10.
Amid the test, which was filmed with Vanity Fair, Louis asked Millie, “Do you eat any animals that you also look after?” to which she replied: “Never.”
Louis then clarified, “I don’t mean the exact animals, I mean would you raise a lamb, but then go and have a rack of lamb for dinner?”
Millie appeared pretty stilted and said, “There are certain animals I don’t eat.” Louis replied, “That wasn’t the question.”
Millie asked, “So is it specifically a lamb?” to which Louis asked again, “Is there an animal that you rear that you would also eat at a restaurant?”
“Some of my animals I wouldn’t eat. I eat chicken,” Millie said, before clarifying — when Louis asked — that she does raise chickens.
Louis said, “So, OK, the answer’s yes.” Millie quickly replied, “Yeah, but I wouldn’t eat, like, sheep. Or horse. Do you know what I mean?”
Louis added, “I’m tempted to push this, but I won’t.” Millie firmly said, “Don’t!” while laughing.
Millie’s so-called “distressed” response to Louis’s question has fueled an ongoing conversation about the ethics of eating meat as an animal-lover. If you didn’t know, billions of factory farm animals are bred into existence annually to be used for food, and many are ultimately slaughtered at a fraction of their natural lifespan after spending their lives in restrictive conditions.
Some people — like Billie Eilish, for example — believe it’s hypocritical to claim to love animals while still consuming them and funding an industry that profits off their slaughter. One person wrote in response to Millie’s comments, “What’s the difference between a horse and a chicken then? In your eyes? I don’t understand this ‘hierarchy’ some people have about animals, like it’s okay to eat some meat but not others. That is hypocrisy. And I say this as a meat eater btw.”
“Seems like she’s clear it’s messed up to love your own animals but eat if someone else keeps in horrible conditions to raise, slaughter, and put on a plate. How confusing to keep straight which animals you eat, which ones you condemn to a miserable life, and which ones you love,” another user said, while many more people branded Millie’s remarks a “prime example of cognitive dissonance.”
At the same time, several people argued that it’s unproductive to impose “black and white opinions about morality in relation to the food we eat.” One person said, “You can love animals, participate in animal activism, and prioritise cruelty-free choices in your life without compromising your ability to go to whatever place your friends want to eat. If the only food that feels safe and predictable to you some nights is chicken nuggets, that’s better than not eating at all. If the idea of going back to picking over labels in the grocery store to see if you’re ‘allowed’ to eat it feels dangerous to you- you don’t have to do that. You don’t have to do it all or nothing.”
“She is such a great advocate for animal protection we all have some behaviors which are not completely aligned with the version we want to be let’s have some compassion and acceptance. She is not perfect, none of us are either,” someone wrote on Instagram.
But overall, many people agreed that it’s always worth challenging where our food comes from and considering the impact our choices have. “I don't think coming after MBB specifically is reasonable, but pointing out the dissonance of eating animals is good. The only sensible answer an omnivore can really give is ‘yeah, I eat animals and I know I ethically should not, but I haven't taken that inconvenient step yet.’ That's a thoughtful answer, at least,” someone suggested.
“I think one of the most compassionate things a human can do is understand where their food sources come from and respect their sacrifice,” another person said.
One more user added, “People are so inconsistent and blind to their own rules on what’s okay and not ok with eating animals. It’s good to point out her inconsistency. Like Billie Eilish said; you can’t say you love animals, then eat them. It’s just directionally opposite of loving them.”
Comments