We've known that Famke Janssen was a big animal advocate ever since she and her dog Licorice starred in a "Be an Angel for Animals" PETA ad. But now the model and actor has a new feather for her wings: She's vegan. Famke even worked in a mention of it in a recent interview with The Telegraph: "I'm vegan so I favour pasta and vegetable dishes." 

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In other celebrity news:

• Chef Tal Ronnen was just named one of the most influential chefs in Hollywood. His vegan restaurant, Crossroads, is a favorite of celebs, cruelty-free eaters, and even folks who haven't yet made the switch.
• Morrissey is calling out British retailer Fortnum & Mason for its refusal to stop selling vile foie gras. On a Moz fansite, he praised Prince Charles for banning foie gras from all Royal functions and asked fans to demand that the retailer pull it from the shelves.
• Retired top-ranked NBA star John Salley is talking about vegan eating—with an 800-pound gorilla. When he stopped by New York's PIX11 Morning News, he praised the power of plants, saying, "I was talking to [an] 800-pound gorilla and I said, 'Where do you get your protein?' Now, [an] 800-pound gorilla is a raw foodist that only eats green vegetables. They don't eat meat. The largest vegan we know is [an] elephant. … They have that saying, 'I want to be as strong as [an] ox'—they forget the ox eats grass." 

And on Twitter this week, celebrities were bashing Bizarre Foods, were setting crabs free, and were boycotting the Ringling Bros. circus:

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter. 

You've watched the video of Justin Timberlake's "Veganville" skit on Saturday Night Live 20 times, posted it on Facebook, and tweeted the link. But do you have the shirt? The Passionate Vegan Personal Chef Service is offering "Bring It on Down to Veganville" shirts for everyone who can't get enough of the dancing tofu (which is pretty much everyone).

And if you're looking for some more animal-friendly awesomeness to retweet this week, might we offer a few suggestions?

Twitter founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone are getting in on the vegan action, too. The duo, along with Bill Gates, is offering financial backing to companies that are creating innovative new faux meats and nondairy products. 

Will The Bachelor's Sean Lowe's bride-to-be, Catherine Giudici, be having her wedding in Veganville? We're hoping to see the vegan blogger and her beau throw a cruelty-free celebration for their televised nuptials.

And Glen Davis is making vegan magic. Well, more accurately, he's making the Magic vegan. The Orlando Magic forward made the switch for his health, and PETA sent him a vegetarian/vegan starter kit, a "Glass Walls" DVD, and some cookbooks to get him well on his way to making up his own dance ode to one of his new favorite foods: tofu. 

Chef Tal Ronnen may have us all dancing in the grocery store aisles soon. Not content to rest on his laurels after opening one of L.A.'s hottest new eateries, the all-vegan restaurant Crossroads this weekend, he is now crafting his own line of vegan artisanal cheeses, Kite Hill Cheese. 

Soon, we can snack on Kite Hill Cheese and crackers while we watch one of our other best buds, Tim Gunn, help the Project Runway designers "make it work." When Us Weekly interviewed him for its "25 Things You Don't Know About Me" column, of course Tim worked in a plug for animals: "I love dogs, especially mutts." 

Tom Hardy loves dogs, too, as evidenced by how he's bonding with his canine costar on the set of Animal Rescue. Ecorazzi reports that "the film will not only bring up animal abuse issues, but problems surrounding pit bulls in animal shelters." 

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter. 

One celeb who won't mind too much when awards season winds down? Octavia Spencer. She loves cheering for her friend Jessica Chastain, but she's getting antsy for her The Help costar to cook her some more vegan soul food like the vegan fried chicken they made on set. Jessica, one of PETA's reigning Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities, has been scooping up the nominations, so to tide Octavia over, we've sent her her own vegan soul-food cookbook. Maybe soon the friends will be comparing vegan recipes and Oscars?

They can scoop up Robin Quivers' new vegan cookbook, The Vegucation of Robin: How Real Food Saved My Life. Or perhaps they'll take their happy reunion to Chef Tal Ronnen's new vegan restaurant and bar, Crossroads, opening in L.A.

Hilaria and Alec Baldwin are also celebrating an exciting new venture. The couple is expecting their first child in late summer. PETA is sending the vegan mom an early shower gift: a copy of Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven. 

And at just 15 years old, pop prince Greyson Chance thinks it's time he gave meat-free eating a chance. When he posted to Twitter, "first day of being a vegetarian. can I do this?" his fans responded in droves with words of encouragement. We think that we know a few more folks who might be cheering Greyson on:

When animals weren't getting "tweet outs" on Twitter, they were getting major ups from Maggie Q in The Huffington Post. The Nikita star spent the majority of her interview talking about her new PETA campaign titled, "Fight Climate Change With Diet Change—Go Veg," and detailing the environmental destruction and cruelty of the meat industry. If Maggie ever decides to get out of acting, we think she's got a future in animal rights.

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter. 

Ne-Yo is making it a happy New Year for animals: The rapper has resolved to go vegan in 2013. When Ne-Yo first tweeted his New Year's resolution, he deemed it a discipline test. But after he learned about the cruelty of the meat and dairy industries, he said that there was "much more meaning to it." PETA sent him vegan dining expert chef Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook: Delicious Vegan Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat, a vegetarian/vegan starter kit, and fellow music legend Paul McCartney's meat industry exposé, "Glass Walls." 

Ne-Yo has been keeping his Twitter followers up to date on his progress and has received an outpouring of support, as have animals:

Maybe Ne-Yo will give Anderson Cooper the inspiration that he needs to help him make the switch. When Anderson invited vegan Alan Cumming onto his show, the pair noshed on meat-free chicken wings and Anderson talked about his vegan aspirations.

PETA friend Kelly Osbourne says it was her boyfriend, vegan chef Matthew Mosshart, who helped her drop pounds and feel better. "That's because he cooks for me! He's a vegan chef so he makes sure I eat healthily," she says. "I'm happy with how I look now."

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are happy with how their family looks now, with the addition of their new rescued dog, Ren. They took the pup in as foster parents, but it took the couple only a few days to make it official. PETA sent Ren a homecoming present of treats and toys.

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter. 

TMZ founder Harvey Levin is the breaking celebrity news—he's newly vegetarian and no longer wears leather. It's likely that Levin's love of animals caused him to make the switch. He's "deeply into animal rescue" and says that the last time he cried was when his beloved dog, Floyd, passed away.

All aboard! Ozzy Osbourne is riding the vegan train after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives. When Russell Brand watched it, the reigning Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity opted to become the Sexiest Vegan.

You wouldn't expect anything less than healthy and delicious when Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi partner with Chrissie Hynde for a new vegan restaurant, and that's just what you'll get with vegan celeb chef Tal Ronnen preparing the menus. He's a busy guy—he's also bringing his vegan flair to LYFE Kitchen restaurant as co-executive chef, alongside Oprah's former chef, Art Smith.  

Vegetarian singer Kate Bush wanted to let her fans know in advance of her forthcoming album, 50 Words for Snow, that she wears 50 kinds of faux in the snowy photo shoot because she's sure her fans "feel the same way as I do about wearing real fur."

Fellow musician Helen Marnie of Ladytron made no bones (or pelts) about the group's refusal to wear fur in an interview with Rolling Stone. "[F]ur—be it rabbit, fox, mink, whatever—is totally out of the question," she says.

To see what else celebs have been saying about PETA, check out our Twitter feed.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

When Food Network chef Giada De Laurentiis asked her viewers what they'd like her to cook, they overwhelmingly requested more vegetarian meals. In fact, De Laurentiis predicts vegetarian meals will be the hot trend in 2012, and in preparation, she's been testing a variety of mouthwatering vegetarian concoctions. She says in a Food Network video that when her mother went vegetarian, "I sort of made it my mission to start coming up with dishes that wouldn't make you miss the meat." In the video, De Laurentiis shares her recipes for delectable dishes, including a zesty vegan curry bean dip:

To help get her creative juices flowing for developing more vegetarian delights, PETA sent De Laurentiis a copy of The Conscious Cook by vegan chef Tal Ronnen, who has cooked for the likes of Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres. The book is a wealth of information about delicious, versatile, and protein-rich faux meats that can be the basis for healthy plant-based meals.

To get a jump start on 2012's vegetarian food craze, pick up your own copy of Chef Tal's book, or browse the free vegetarian recipes on PETA's "Living" page right now!

Written by Heather Faraid Drennan

Steve-O flips pizza with Nanci Alexander at her restaurant, Sublime, in south Florida.

 
In honor of Culinarians Day, we've whipped up a list of some of our favorite vegan celebrity chefs, chefs who cook for celebrities, and cruelty-free restaurants where you might just catch celebrities chowing down. Tasty! Check it out:

• Tal Ronnen: A graduate of New York City's Natural Gourmet Institute, Ronnen was Oprah's chef when she embarked on Kathy Freston's 21-day vegan cleanse. His classic French technique is highlighted in his book, The Conscious Cook, which is a must for anyone who wants to impress dinner guests with gourmet fare such as succulent "chicken" scaloppini.
• VegiTerranean: There's no pretending that Chrissie Hynde's rockin' restaurant in Akron, Ohio, won't blow you away with robust vegan dishes such as Chick'n Fried Portobello Steak or Mango BBQ Pizza.
• Alicia Silverstone: We'd be clueless not to mention the sultry star who penned The Kind Diet. Alicia also stars in one of PETA's sexiest public service announcements ever.
• Sublime: Nanci Alexander has been serving up brick-oven pizzas and European fare such as Penne Puttanesca and Quiche Lorraine to the likes of Pamela Anderson, Ami James, and Steve-O. Can't get to the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, restaurant? Pick up a copy of The Sublime Restaurant Cookbook, and you'll be impressing your friends with sophisticated Mushroom Ceviche and luscious Coconut Cake in no time.
• Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin: Coming out of the modeling industry, the authors of the Skinny Bitch series, which has been endorsed by Victoria Beckham and other celebrities, have taken the country by storm. If you haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon, don't fret—you can find the latest installment of the series in the PETA Catalog.

One lucky reader can win the Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. For a chance to win, just leave a comment telling us who your favorite vegan celebrity is.*

 
Written by Colleen Twombly-Borst

Not long ago, we told you that celebrity chef Mario Batali was introducing special "Meatless Mondays" options at all of his 14 restaurants. Well, thanks to Freep.com, we get to meat meet up with Mario for a progress report: He says that he feels better as his diet becomes increasingly veggie-heavy. And he predicts that environmental concerns will prompt others to embrace a vegetarian diet. Oh—and he reveals that his own vegetarian cookbook is in the works.

Could Batali be channeling vegan chef Tal Ronnen? I'd love to think so, but one thing's for certain: Both Chef Mario and Chef Tal are inspiring countless flesh-loving foodies to think outside the T-bone.

Written by Karin Bennett

athensboy / CC

It's official: Oprah will end her show in 2011. Feel that collective surge of sadness? We sure do. Oprah's groundbreaking program has transcended the talk-show format and has paved the way for social and political change. In honor of PETA's 2008 Person of the Year and her show's long run, we're revisiting Oprah's best animal-friendly episodes:

• Oprah's week-long move from Chicago to Amarillo was the move followed 'round the world. She captivated millions with her court appearance to defend her 1995 episode that revealed the horrors of a beef industry rampant with mad cow disease.
• Inspired by guest Kathy Freston's book Quantum Wellness, Oprah went vegan for three weeks and marveled, "I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying."
• Oprah dedicated an entire episode to exposing the stifling, crippling conditions of chickens, cows, and pigs on factory farms as Californians prepared to vote on Proposition 2. The measure passed by a large majority—in part thanks to her revealing show.
• After Oprah saw a billboard off the Kennedy Expressway that read, "Oprah: Do a show on puppy mills. The dogs need you," she immediately jumped at the opportunity to save lives. Just a few minutes of her horrifying exposé were enough to convince viewers that adopting from an animal shelter is the only way to go.
• My food envy was raging when Chef Tal Ronnen cooked his "Chicken" Scallopini and other delectable vegan meals on a recent episode of the show.
• When Charla Nash decided to show her face to the public for the first time earlier this month, it's no surprise that she chose to do it on Oprah's show.

The media mogul may be bidding farewell to her legendary talk show, but with the upcoming launch of her new cable network, we're sure that we'll be seeing a lot more of her for a long time to come.

Written by Logan Scherer

This week Windsor, North Carolina, officials cut the red ribbon that wrapped PETA's very special gift to animals in this small Southern town. For nearly a decade, PETA has been working with Windsor and other area towns to provide homeless animals in their care with better housing conditions and a peaceful end when euthanasia is the most humane option.

In 2000, PETA was alerted by a caring police officer to terrible suffering and appalling conditions at several "animal shelters" in North Carolina, some of which were nothing more than outdoor shacks, like the one in Windsor. Dogs and cats left inside these outdoor "coops" suffered without heat in the winter and air conditioning, or even fans, in the scorching summer. As a result, some animals literally drowned or froze to death at some town facilities. When no homes could be found for them, many were killed by gas poisoning or gunshots.

Today, we are thrilled to announce that this week, PETA representatives were joined by Windsor's mayor, Robert Spivey, and several other county officials to celebrate the town's new animal shelter, funded entirely by PETA, to ensure that homeless animals in Windsor are housed comfortably and humanely from here on out. Get ready for a pretty amazing reveal:

As for the old shack, we're planning a very special demolition party that will take place soon.

Since receiving that initial complaint nearly a decade ago, PETA has become a lifesaving presence in many impoverished areas near our headquarters in Southern Virginia. We have provided hundreds of doghouses, free and low-cost spay/neuter services, food, toys, no-spill water receptacles, and more to local citizens and their animal companions, and we regularly work with local law-enforcement officials to prosecute those who harm animals. Every dollar PETA spends helps to ensure that a needy animal receives warmth during winter, shade during summer, fresh food, and clean water. Considering the difficult economic situation and winter's frigid temperatures, we—and animals—need your help now more than ever. Visit HelpingAnimals.com to learn how you can help neglected and homeless animals in your own neighborhood and beyond.

Written by Karin Bennett