Celebrities are people, too, so it should come as no surprise that some of them are vegans. Many people consider veganism to be an extreme diet and a lifestyle choice that only exists on the fringe, which is why pointing out celebrities who are vegan makes it seem far less out there, even if celebrities often do a lot of other crazy things.
Mike Tyson
This is definitely surprising given Tyson’s violent profession and past, but in 2009 the former champ quit eating all animal products and became a vegan.
Thom Yorke
The Radiohead frontman has said in interviews that the song “Meat is Murder” by The Smiths is one of the reasons he decided to become a vegan. Yorke is also an avid environmentalist, so I would have to assume that the environmental impact of eating animal products also motivates him.
Alicia Silverstone
It turns out the Clueless star is not so clueless when it comes to her diet and lifestyle. If you ever wonder what Silverstone has been up to since she made the film that launched her career, she’s written a vegan cookbook called, The Kind Life.
Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons, the famous rap-mogul, practices yoga and told Ellen Degeneres that he became vegan following the guidance of his yoga mentors.
Ellen Degeneres
Ellen Degeneres has said on her show that she decided to become vegan after watching the film, Earthlings. Ellen is also a self-proclaimed animal lover.
Ozzy Ozbourne
It’s kind of hard to believe that a guy who is infamous for biting the heads off of things no longer eats meat or any other animal products, but it’s true. The Prince of Darkness became a vegan after watching the documentary, Forks Over Knives. Ozzy announced his veganism on his wife Sharon’s television show, The Talk.
Bill Clinton
This one is perhaps the most shocking. Yep, the U.S. president who was famous for jogging to McDonalds back in the ’90s is now a vegan. Clinton actually talks about it to great length in a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer. In the interview he states that he’s lost 24 lb and has returned to his high school weight; however, he said he didn’t do it for the weight loss, but to heal his heart and unclog his arteries. Clinton also admitted that once in a blue moon he still has a little fish, so he’s not the strictest of vegans, but hey, what can you do.
This is only a short list of vegan celebrities but I thought these were some of the most notable and surprising.