There's one thing that's certainly not in Joaquin Phoenix's wardrobe and that's wool, even if it is cold outside. In the new campaign for PETA he announces; "cruelty doesn't suit me". He encourages, "Please leave wool out of your wardrobe."

Joaquin Phoenix for PETA

Joaquin Phoenix for PETA

The actor is pictured alongside rescued sheep and is wearing a vegan suit by Brave GentleMan, PETA Menswear Brand of the Year.

The ad is timely, after six wool industry workers were charged with cruelty to animals in a recent landmark case. The court case came after a PETA exposé showed shearers beating sheep in the face with clippers in Australia.

Phoenix does not often give interviews and we rarely see him in a suit in photographs but in the exclusive video for PETA he openly tells us why he decided to do both.

"When PETA [US] sent me that video of this undercover investigation of what happened in these shearing farms, that was really eye-opening", he says after feeding one of the rescue sheep. "I had that rationalization, 'Well, it's something that is just taken off them, and there's not a lot of abuse."

"After seeing this footage, it's pretty undeniable that … it's impossible to do that in a humane way. And so, it seems that the only option is to not use wool. That's become abundantly clear".

PETA - whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to wear" - has released other exposes showing sheep being punched, jabbed and stamped on.

Phoenix reminds us in his interview that shearers are often paid by volume, not by the hour. This encourages both fast and rough work that can lead to open wounds on sheep's bodies. The wounds are then stitched closed - without giving the animals any painkillers.

Phoenix is part of a long list of celebrities - including Eva Mendes, Alicia Silverstone, Mark Ronson, Pamela Anderson, Iggy Pop, and many more - who have teamed up with PETA and its international affiliates to promote kinder wardrobe choices.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.


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