The actor and activist said that she went vegetarian at the age of nine because she was “very attached to animals,” and added that the environmental impact of factory farming became more of a priority as she got older. Portman first adopted a vegan diet around 2011.

“I think it’s basic empathy that I understood as a child, and understanding […] animals as like myself,” said Portman. She highlighted the role of anthropomorphized characters in cartoons in evoking empathy for animals, an idea that some research papers echo.

She also noted how animal rights and welfare intersect with “so many” other issues, including feminism, labor struggles, and migrant’s rights, including through the industry’s treatment of workers, animals, and specifically in its violent treatment of “female bodies.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Plant Based News (@plantbasednews)

Portman made the comments while appearing during the closing ceremony of Change NOW’s 2025 conference in conversation with CEO and founder Santiago Lefebvre. The event was a three-day “summit” focused on networking and the discussion of sustainability, resources, and “inclusion.” Other attendees included Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson and Earthshot Prize CEO Hannah Jones, along with other activists and prominent figures.

Read more: ‘I Tried Natalie Portman’s Favorite Vegan Weekday Dish’

‘Every time you eat, you’re thinking about your commitment’

In April, a new study by two of the UK’s leading plant-based healthcare professionals – PBHP’s Dr Shireen Kassam and Dr Laura Jane Smith – highlighted how promoting meat-free diets could help tackle the “intertwined crises” of poor health, food shortages, climate change, biodiversity loss and social injustice, all of which are driven by human activities.

“It’s so connected to so many other issues that it has become a very big part of my life,” Portman told Lefebvre. “And also is a way, I think, you can express your commitment three times a day. […]. Every time you eat, you’re thinking about your commitment to the environment, to nature, to animals, to your values.”

Read more: Is Natalie Portman Vegan? Everything She’s Said About The Movement

This article was written by Liam Pritchett on the PBN Website.

Read more: ‘Cowspiracy’ Co-Director Announces New Film: ‘How To Make Drugs’

The film is executively produced by NBA star Chris Paul and singer Billie Eilish. It looks at how people of color are disproportionately affected by high rates of chronic disease and premature death. This, the film says, is because of the racist design of the food system, and did not happen by accident. Lewis – known as “Badass Vegan” on social media – features as a protagonist and narrator of the film, traveling around the US uncovering the intersection of race and diet. Throughout the documentary, he makes eye-opening discoveries about the health disparities affecting minorities in the country. 

“It’s a film about food injustice and social justice through the lens of Hip Hop,” Lewis previously said in an interview. “People have been beat down for so long that they believe that most of the health problems that we suffer from are hereditary and not a choice of what we actually eat.”

Read more: ‘Food For Profit’: The New Documentary On Factory Farming In Europe

John Lewis’ vegan journey

After being adopted at birth due to his birth mother being a drug addict, Lewis grew up as an “overweight kid” before going on to become a prominent health and wellness advocate. He is now passionate about spreading compassion for both human and non-human animals, as well as promoting healthy diets and lifestyles. 

He initially went vegetarian while in grad school, and it was while he was there that his mother got sick. The doctors told him that she got ill because of too much fried fatty foods and animal protein. Lewis then discovered that diseases like heart disease, hypertension, and some cancers are related to consumption of animal protein, rather than being hereditary, as he had previously believed. He then started exploring the plant-based and vegan lifestyles, and embarked on an animal-free diet.

A ‘mind-blowing’ film

Viewers have described They’re Trying To Kill Us as “mind-blowing,” “phenomenal,” and a “work of art.” Lewis looks at never-before-explored topics, uncovering a shocking link between the fast food and big pharma industries in the US. They’re Trying To Kill Us features appearances from Hip Hop legends like Dame Dash, Professor Griff, Styles P, Sa-Roc, and many more. 

The film is directed by both Lewis and Keegan Kuhn, the co-director of award-winning documentaries Cowspiracy (2014) and What The Health (2017). “This film is important to me because it’s a story that hasn’t been told in the mainstream,” Kuhn told Plant Based News. “The film squarely looks at the disproportionate rates of chronic disease Americans of color face and the deep societal and political underpinnings that started and perpetuate the premature death of African Americans in particular. The film shines a light on the dark history of racist policies in the US and presents a pathway forward to restoring health and greater liberation.”

The film features an all-star cast of celebrities, experts, and influencers from a wide variety of fields. Singers Ne-Yo and Mya speak about their personal food journeys in the film, appearing alongside the likes of entrepreneur Pinky Cole, actor Tabitha Brown, pro bodybuilder Torre Washington, and many more. 

Plant-based physicians Dr Rosa Kincaid, Dr Milton Mills, and Dr Neal Barnard all offer their expert opinion on diets and nutrition, informing viewers about the many benefits of animal-free eating. 

Lewis works with all the guest speakers to uncover what the filmmakers describe as “the singular most deadly threat to American society that mainstream media doesn’t want to talk about.” 

Food racism in the US

Food injustice is a huge and prevailing issue in the US, with Black people being affected far more by diet and lifestyle-related illnesses. 

Almost half of all Black adults have some form of cardiovascular disease, while nearly one in five have diabetes. The film states that society has been structured in a way that limits Black communities from gaining access to healthy food. As plant-based physician Dr Michael Greger points out in the film, the fast food industries, alongside the tobacco and alcohol industries, “target people of color.”

Only around eight percent of African Americans live in communities that have a grocery store, compared to 31 percent of white Americans. “There’s something about being here that’s making Black people sick,” Dr Kincaid, an expert in plant-based diets and preventative medicine, says in the film. 

How to watch They’re Trying To Kill Us

The film is available to watch for free on Tubi and YouTube. Find out more about They’re Trying To Kill Us film on its website. 

Read more: ‘I Could Never Go Vegan’: How To Watch The Hugely Anticipated Documentary

This article was written by Polly Foreman on the PBN Website.