PETA Slams Reese Witherspoon Over $4,000 Python Skin Purse

UPDATE (11/03/2011): Reese Witherspoon has reportedly decided to stop carrying the Chloe bag after PETA sent her a video expose of the snakeskin industry.

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Reese Witherspoon may be one of America's sweethearts, but PETA is less than enamored over one of the actress' recent accessories, as Fashion Etc. reports.

Reese was spotted in California carrying a $3,820 Chloe Paraty bag made from python skin, the sale of which is actually illegal in California. Uh oh.

"No matter how much Reese paid for that bag, the animals paid a much higher price," a spokeswoman said in a statement. "Every year, millions of snakes are impaled on hooks or nailed to trees by their heads and skinned alive.

And to add insult to injury, PETA crowned Witherspoon a "sexiest vegetarian" back in 2006, but then seemed miffed when Witherspoon made an appearance on Ellen and stated during a cooking segment, "everything's better with bacon." What will happen now that Reese trotted out a bag made from skinned snakes?

'We can't imagine that she'd wish to contribute to this hidden suffering, especially for something as frivolous as a fashion accessory that can be replicated with no bloodshed," a PETA spokesperson also told the Daily Mail.

Reese's movie "Water for Elephants" previously came under flak from animal rights activists, who alleged that the 42-year-old elephant who stars in the film was mistreated.

We're all for fashion, but since you were nominated for a PETA award in the past, Reese, you might do well to avoid wearing these kinds of bags in the future.

Comments

[harmionaco]

10:44 AM on 11/08/2011

PETA would love if the entire planet were run by animals, every day was filled with sunshine and veggies grew in abundance on every corner in every neighborhood.

If someone wants to turn a snake into a bag or boots, I have no problem with it. They aren't adorable, are the symbol of a fallen angel and serve no purpose other than eating mice and other creatures. I can buy traps and accomplish the same outcome.

[Shafin]

11:02 PM on 11/07/2011

We should treating animal properly (on how we use it or keep it) but PETA is another story.....they are some militants who push their views to others indiscriminately. You just can't push people to be a vegan, and in this world, some people are living from animals.....if you can't take it then start making jobs or a better solution for those people around the world. (Talk is Cheap and Easy).

[Joe99Percenter]

07:03 PM on 11/07/2011

Pythons aren't endangered. They are out control...

[hernandeza859]

04:52 PM on 11/07/2011

Beautiful bag!

[maxovrdriv]

01:42 PM on 11/07/2011

PETA People Eating Tasting Animals. I bet the meat was pretty good too, may as well use all the animal so none of it goes to waste. I prefer rattlesnake or Elk but I am sure it was good in any event.

[Bonnie Abbzug]

02:36 PM on 11/07/2011

People Eating Tasting Animals - doesn't even make sense

[iconico62]

02:02 AM on 11/04/2011

Peta has this notion that every leather good has got to come from tortured animals. How stupid could they get? I wonder how many of them wear leather shoes, bags, belts, purses from animals "tortured" in the slaughterhouse.

[DebbyM]

08:05 AM on 11/04/2011

In all likelihood, none of them wear those things. PETA members are generally speaking, vegan.

[hueylover]

01:45 AM on 11/04/2011

There sure are a lot of people posting who have absolutely no problem with animal cruelty. Easier to attack or make fun of those who do care.

[Kathleen Shimp]

04:52 PM on 11/03/2011

It's the fact that she won "sexiest vegetarian" in the past that really takes the cake here.

[marvin pollack]

04:33 PM on 11/03/2011

PETA is a militant organization that lovesd
the spotlight and
hates
people.
They have destroyed a man in Iowa, a father of 10-12 children, including an autistic child, in order to impose there distorted views on the rest of the world.
Google- Shalom Rubashkin.

[StrawHat]

08:28 PM on 11/07/2011

He doesn't know if he has ten or twelve children.

That's...odd.

[ArChiMi]

02:26 PM on 11/03/2011

There is a new breed of man eating Python in Florida spawned from the mating of illegally released snakes and the massive Pythons. I wouldn't mind handbags and shoes made out of that thing.

[DebbyM]

08:09 AM on 11/04/2011

Maybe it would be a better way to prevent problems by outlawing the keeping of exotics as pets. No exotics as pets - no release of invasive species. How hard is that to figure out. Or is it that people just don't care about anything except their own wants: I want a neat pet, I want something no one else has, I want to wear things that come at the cost of enormous suffering of other species. What kind of person are you?

[ArChiMi]

01:49 PM on 11/04/2011

I am a kind of person that doesn't like giant man eating pythons.

I agree also that people shouldn't keep illegal pets and release them into the wild. But they have and now we do have a problem on our hands. These snakes can eat a child who is playing in the backyard, or even your dog or cat.

Now my question is what kind of a R E T A R D are you?

[An Independent Woman]

11:31 AM on 11/03/2011

I love, love, love the bag! I'd like it in that rusty orange and green.... mmmmm python!

[butchcliff]

07:33 AM on 11/03/2011

peta rants,slams,complains. Do they really do any good to humanity? The best thing they do is make, tax exempt, millions for themselves. All their money could go to real humanity issues.

[blondd780]

11:17 PM on 11/02/2011

PETA is more worried about a snake than a human being. Why don't they put that sme energy into helping a person down on their luck, or help pay for a poor woman's mammogram? Leave people alone, and let them buy what they want and can afford. That snake would swallow you like you were a taco without a second thought. Snakes are not endangered species.

[DebbyM]

02:10 PM on 11/03/2011

Which friggin' human do they need to worry about in this story? Tell me!!! Who's friggin' suffering? Who did suffer? Do you not read the whole story? What about snakes that get nailed to trees and skinned alive? Do you realize that with the slow metabolism they have, they can take hours to die - WITH NO SKIN!!!!! WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE?

[jgw845]

09:10 PM on 11/02/2011

justboston's daytime job is the auxiliary hot air source for a hot-air balloon .........

[justboston]

09:03 AM on 11/03/2011

Actually justboston's daytime job is helping homeless people with services in the city of Boston. Helping people and advocating for animals go in hand in hand, again for those who choose to live their lives with courage.

[jgw845]

10:00 PM on 11/03/2011

JB, you do sound a mite sanctimonious as if your good deeds are done as boosts to your ego as opposed to selfless acts. I wonder how much time you spend telling people about all the good you do in relation to the time you spend actually doing good deeds.

[jgw845]

05:50 PM on 11/02/2011

Sign in BBQ restaurant: "PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals" Also available on tee-shirts.

[Be Kind]

06:16 PM on 11/02/2011

Hmmm... no one has ever heard that before. Your 'intelligence' is showing.

[jgw845]

09:06 PM on 11/02/2011

Slamming my intelligence isn't very compassionate of you is it?