Billie Eilish's vegan journey: A timeline
For many fans and followers, Billie Eilish’s activism is as compelling as her music. A vocal advocate for animal rights and environmental issues, her dedication to a vegan lifestyle is a cornerstone of her public platform. The roots of her plant-based diet run deep, influenced by a childhood spent eating vegetarian meals and a family that champions ethical consumption.
The early years: A vegetarian upbringing
Eilish was raised vegetarian, a significant head start on her journey towards a fully plant-based lifestyle. Her mother, Maggie Baird, has long been an advocate for plant-based living, a conviction that shaped the home environment where Eilish and her brother Finneas were raised. This upbringing meant that meat was never a central part of her diet, making the later transition to veganism a more natural step.
2014: The switch to veganism
The pivotal shift occurred around 2014, when Eilish was just 12 years old. This decision wasn't a sudden whim but a response to learning about the realities of the meat and dairy industries. In her own words, once she learned how animals were treated in the industrial food system, she couldn't unknow it. This discovery was the primary catalyst for her choice, driven by a powerful ethical and compassionate response to animal welfare.
Reasons for her veganism
Eilish's commitment to veganism is fueled by a dual set of convictions: one ethical and the other environmental. She has spoken candidly about both, educating her massive following on the impacts of their food choices.
- Animal Welfare: Eilish has repeatedly spoken out against the cruelty in the animal agriculture industry. In 2019, she publicly condemned the abuse shown in an undercover investigation at Fair Oaks Farms, urging her followers to consider their complicity. Her emotional response to such footage highlights the deep-seated empathy that underpins her choices.
- Environmental Impact: Beyond animal rights, Eilish also links her veganism to the fight against climate change. She cites the devastating environmental impact of animal agriculture, calling it a huge threat to the planet. This holistic view of her food choices—connecting them to a larger climate crisis—has been a recurring theme in her advocacy.
How Billie Eilish advocates for veganism
Eilish has proven to be a powerful and effective advocate, using her influence in various innovative ways. She avoids being preachy, but leverages her platform to foster awareness and create plant-based opportunities for her fans.
- On social media: With millions of followers, she frequently shares information about veganism and animal rights through her Instagram stories and posts.
- At her concerts: During her tours, such as the Happier Than Ever tour in 2022 and her 2024 Hit Me Hard and Soft residency, she ensures that venues offer a wide array of exclusively plant-based food options, proving that veganism doesn't mean sacrificing flavor or variety.
- Through ventures: She co-founded the non-profit organization Support + Feed with her mother, Maggie Baird, which provides plant-based meals to people experiencing food insecurity. She has also launched a line of vegan, cruelty-free perfumes and created vegan sneakers in collaboration with Nike.
- Activism through fashion: Eilish used her position as a Met Gala co-chair to convince the luxury fashion house Oscar de la Renta to stop using real fur permanently.
Vegetarian vs. Vegan: What influenced Billie's decision?
| Aspect | Vegetarianism (Her upbringing) | Veganism (Her current lifestyle) |
|---|---|---|
| Core Principle | Avoids meat, poultry, and fish. | Avoids all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey. |
| Family Background | Was raised in a household where meat was excluded from the diet. | Grew up with a mother who has been a plant-based advocate since the 1970s, establishing an ethical foundation. |
| Primary Motivation | Likely stemmed from the family's ethical choices and a cultural norm within her household. | Driven by a deeper, personal investigation into the cruelties of the dairy and egg industries, which she saw as 'unreasonably inhumane'. |
| Level of Commitment | Part of her inherited lifestyle from childhood. | A conscious, deliberate choice made after personal research and emotional reflection. |
| Advocacy Style | Not associated with public advocacy for this phase. | Uses her massive platform for active advocacy, from tour policies to social media posts. |
Conclusion
In short, Billie Eilish has been a dedicated vegan since she was 12, a decision rooted in both her compassionate upbringing and her personal discoveries about animal agriculture. Her conversion from a lifelong vegetarian to a full vegan around 2014 was a pivotal moment that has since defined her public advocacy on ethical and environmental issues. Through her music, tours, and business ventures, she continues to inspire her global fanbase by showing that a plant-based life is not only possible but a powerful way to promote positive change.
