Musician and actor Jaden Smith is officially the “hottest” vegan celebrity according to peta2, the youth division of the largest animal rights organization in the world, PETA.
The 20-year-old joins the list of previous winners that include Ariana Grande and Fall Out Boy’s Andy Hurley.
In a statement, PETA revealed: “More and more Hollywood stars, top musicians, pro athletes, and influential YouTubers are joining the vegan ranks, so the competition for the Hottest Vegan Celebrities of 2018 contest (run by peta2….) was tougher than ever.” However, along with the Chloe x Halle sisters, pop star Jaden Smith took the title.
Beyond his charming boyish looks and celebrity father, Will Smith, Smith has made a name for himself as a vegan advocate. Last year, the star hosted the 27th Annual Environmental Media Association (EMA) awards, after being honored himself the previous year. The young environmentalist’s biggest “green” achievement is said to be his involvement in JUST Water, a company founded in 2015 by Jaden and his father that aims to rethink the way we package, source, and deliver bottled water.
Since then, Smith has teamed up with plant-based company Impossible Foods and Umami Burger to launch the limited edition menu items “Jaden’s Impossible Trio.” The actor also encourages others to adopt a plant-based diet by raving about how delicious vegan food can be. In an interview with Food & Wine magazine, he said, “Vegan pancakes and vegan butter is the best combination. And vegan bacon and vegan sausage are the best things I’ve ever had.” It’s reassuring that, in peta2’s view at least, you can be a hot vegan and still indulge in pancakes.
The female winners, singers Chloe and Halle Bailey, went vegan after going meat-free for a week with their mother. The siblings told Complex that they’ve even become better performers since transitioning to a vegan diet, claiming, “[Our] secret to keeping our voices in shape? … [W]e’re vegan, so we’re not consuming dairy and it’s not that extra mucus buildup all the time.”
The runners-up for this year’s awards are 16-year-old “Stranger Things” actor Sadie Sink and Black Veil Brides vocalist Andy Biersack.
Image credit: Chloe x Halle | Jaden Smith
