Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara Welcome Baby River
Congratulations to actors and activists Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara on welcoming their new baby into the world! The couple has reportedly named the baby River, after Joaquin Phoenix’s late brother River Phoenix.
HONORING RIVER PHOENIX: River Phoenix, Sr. was an outspoken animal and environmental activist, musician, and award-winning actor. Much like his younger brother Joaquin, River never shied away from using his platform to speak out on behalf of animals. Joaquin quoted his brother in his famous 2020 Oscars speech, in which he urged viewers to consider the plight of farmed animals, saying, “run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.”
JOAQUIN AND ROONEY’S WORK WITH ANIMAL EQUALITY: We have no doubt that baby River will share the family’s compassion for animals and the environment. The couple has had a busy year already raising awareness for the plight of farmed animals.
In February, Joaquin joined Animal Equality for a surprise protest at Tower Bridge in London in advance of his appearance at the 73rd BAFTA ceremony, in a daring action to draw attention to animal agriculture being a leading cause of climate change. Phoenix and other activists dropped a 390 square-foot banner from the iconic bridge that read “Factory farming is destroying our planet. Go vegan” as a plea to the public to break its dependence on animal products.
Rooney has also played an active role in Animal Equality’s work. In December, she joined our President Sharon Núñez and investigators to create the short documentary, With My Own Eyes. Rooney documented mother pigs kept in crates so small that they couldn’t turn around to care for their babies, and chickens bred to grow so large, so fast, that many suffered painful deformities and were left to languish unable to reach food or water.
With My Own Eyes reveals that these practices aren’t isolated incidents, rather, typical conditions on factory farms.
NEW DOCUMENTARY EXPOSES RISKS OF FACTORY FARMING: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Joaquin and Rooney have also been working together on the production of a new documentary titled The End of Medicine that will highlight the role that the animal agriculture industry plays in the spread of viruses with pandemic potential, as well as food-borne illness, and antibiotic resistance—all of which pose massive risks to public health. Production of the film is predicted to end in late 2020.
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