Joaquin Phoenix brought home an Academy Award for Joker and made some people think about how they consumed animals at the same time. Now, the star helped liberate a calf and its mother from a slaughterhouse. The video of the ordeal was posted by Farm Sanctuary and it leads off with the speech from his acceptance of the award. Phoenix’s Oscar’s speech had some moments where he appealed for better treatment of animals as well. He made reference to the process of artificially inseminating cows to basically harvest the milk meant for the calf and use it for cereal or coffee instead. The Joker star is well-known as a battler for eco-friendly causes, but the new video shows him taking more direct action. In the description for the video, he explains his rationale and the expanding role he sees for himself.
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“I never thought I’d find friendship in a slaughterhouse, but meeting Anthony and opening my heart to his, I realize we might have more in common than we do differences. Without his act of kindness, Liberty and her baby calf, Indigo, would have met a terrible demise,” Phoenix began.
“Although we will continue to fight for the liberation of all animals who suffer in these oppressive systems, we must take pause to acknowledge and celebrate the victories, and the people who helped achieve them,” he added.
“My hope is, as we watch baby Indigo grow up with her mom Liberty at Farm Sanctuary, that we’ll always remember that friendships can emerge in the most unexpected places; and no matter our differences, kindness and compassion should rule everything around us,” Phoenix summarized.
During Farm Sanctuary’s rescue mission the actor has a back and forth with the CEO of the slaughterhouse. He told her that he didn’t need any science to understand what the animals were going through. The CEO didn’t want to create a scene, but it was a little late for that. In the end, the two cows were released back into a field where they can live out their lives. Phoenix looked visibly happy to have helped the two animals on their journey. Between this and his participation in Jane Fonda’s Fire Drill Fridays, it looks like the Joker star will only be ramping up his involvement in causes he believes are urgent. Fans have been very receptive to his involvement in these events and that will probably only increase as time goes on.
