Vegetarian Star

Lea Michelle recently signed a million dollar contract with cosmetics company L’Oreal. Although makeup is supposed to enhance one’s appearance, Michele’s decision isn’t sitting pretty with animal rights activists.

The vegetarian actress who’s appeared in several animal welfare campaigns, including a few for PETA that urges horse-drawn carriages be removed from busy city streets, is drawing criticism because of the company’s policy on animal testing.

Although L’Oreal has not tested on animals in the United States for the past two decades, it pays Chinese officials to carry out test there in order for products to be available in the country.

In China, animal testing for cosmetics is required. Many companies often choose to take this part of product development to China because of fewer regulations and less political adversity involved in doing so.

Michelle’s fans (or perhaps former fans) have taken to Twitter and Facebook to react.

“I thought as a #vegetarian you loved animals. LOreal test on animals. How can you advertise a cruel company?”, Jennifer Thompson, author of Living Cruelty Free, asked the star on Twitter, then later added, “Sadly, #vegetarian Lea Michele’s @msleamichele morals vanish as soon as L’Oreal wave some cash under her nose.”

“Even if she didn’t know about China, which I doubt, no sane animal rights activist would support L’Oreal,” wrote one user on Facebook.

“And if you really were concerned about animals you’d do some research before selling your soul to a big company. What a disgrace. So many celebrities pretending they care when they don’t.”

“I have such a passion [for animal rights] because I adore animals so much,” the Glee star has been quoted as saying.

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