Actor, singer, dancer, producer, fashion designer and entrepreneur Jennifer Lopez is the most influential Latina performer in the United States. In May 2014 she embarked on Marco Borges’ 22-day vegan cleanse—the very same plan that Jay-Z and Beyonce had followed the previous year.
Lopez thrived during the experience, later saying: “I did the vegan 22-day plan, and it was really good and I kept on with it for a few more weeks, and now I’ve incorporated a little bit of fish here and there. But I’ve got to tell you, I enjoy it. I enjoy eating that way.”
Given her past as one of the world’s best known fur-wearing celebrities, this vegan experiment represented a surprising turnaround for Lopez. Some animal advocates have (of course) derided Lopez for not permanently embracing the lifestyle. But nobody can deny the tremendous impact she has had by creating a wave of positive attention for vegan diets in news outlets worldwide.
The fact that a top celebrity like J. Lo gave veganism a spin is yet another sign that food culture is rapidly changing. This is a woman with 29 million Twitter followers—the ripple effects are enormous.
