Animal Rights group PETA took over Pharrell William's Piece by Piece premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2024. The group was protesting over Pharrell's work as Louis Vuitton's men's creative director.
After the screening, Pharrell took the stage at the Princess of Wales Theatre for a Q&A when he was interrupted by a protestor as they ran through the stage with a sign while chanting, "Pharrell, stop torturing animals" while the sign read, "Pharell: Stop Supporting Killing Animals for Fashion."
The protestor then continued to shout and say,
"Your Louis Vuitton collection...Pharrell's collection is made from their blood. Pharrell stop torturing animals! Ostriches are being hung upside down, electrocuted with their necks slit!"
According to a PETA Asia article, Louis Vuitton manufactures couture handbags from crocodile leather in Vietnam.
Pharell, as a response, told the protestor,
"You're right, you're right. God bless you, it's ok."
He also encouraged the crowd to applaud, after which the protestor was ushered from the stage.
"That is not necessarily the way to do it," says Pharell Williams to a protestor at TIFF
After a protestor interrupted Pharrell Williams' speech after the screening of Piece by Piece, Williams addressed the audience and said,
"Rome wasn't made in a day. And sometimes, when you have plans to change things and situations, you have to get in a situation of power and of influence where you can change people's minds and help progression."
While nodding to the area where the protestor had been escorted out of the theatre, Williams said,
"That is not necessarily the way we do it, and sitting in my position, when I have conversations on behalf of organizations like that unbeknownst to them, they come out here and do themselves a diservice."
Williams continued to say that when the change happens, everybody in the theatre room will remember his words that they are working on the cause.
In an official statement to Variety, PETA's Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman, in response to Pharell WIlliams, said that the organization would be "happy to stop disrupting William's appearances, but despite a lot of lip service, he's yet to ditch fur and exotic skins." Tracy also noted that the singer can "decide in a heartbeat" to use his power to stop animal cruelty and reminded him that "it's quite easy to be kind."
This isn't the first time PETA has protested against Williams. Activists affiliated with the organization protested a press screening for Piece by Piece on September 7 at the TIFF with posters reading "Fur is dead" and "Pharell: Stop Killing Animals for Fashion."
