Natalie Portman Describes Being Vegan As ‘Basic Empathy’

Natalie Portman describes her choice to go vegan as an act of "basic empathy." The actor and activist, who first adopted a vegetarian diet at the age of nine out of attachment to animals, emphasized the environmental impact of factory farming as a key driver for her decision to go vegan around 2011. Portman believes that understanding animals as similar to oneself is a fundamental aspect of empathy, fostered in part by the portrayal of animals in cartoons.

During a conversation at Change NOW's 2025 conference, Portman discussed how animal rights and welfare intersect with various other social issues, such as feminism, labor struggles, and migrant rights. She highlighted the industry's treatment of workers and animals, particularly the violent treatment of female bodies, as a key issue. Portman sees her commitment to veganism as a daily expression of her values and a way to align her actions with her beliefs surrounding the environment, nature, and animal rights.