Rihanna making headlines for her eclectic fashion sense is no shocker, however she has been put under the microscope for a more serious reason.
The singer recently came under scrutiny from the animal rights activist group PETA for wearing an ostrich feather outfit at a recent public appearance. Though she often creates buzz for her risqué outfit choices, the aqua feather top she chose to wear at her Reb’l Fleur perfume launch in London received negative backlash from the group.
PETA spokeswoman Sandra Smiley commented on Rihanna’s look: "[She] is flaunting stolen property, in this case feathers possibly plucked right off their rightful owners' backs. She has shown little regard for foxes, cows and reptiles, now she's adding birds to the list of species exploited for her dubious looks."
Smiley continued: "Feathers are often ripped off chickens, geese, ostriches and emus in live plucking. This can result in gaping wounds that are sewn up with a needle and thread without anesthetic."
The direct spokeswoman went even further by liking Rihanna’s domestic abuse by her ex-Chris Brown to the pain endured by the animals.
"We keep hoping that Rihanna, a victim of violence herself, will learn to open her heart and start empathizing with the suffering of others. That includes the animals who are beaten, gassed, electrocuted and poisoned to be turned into fashion accessories."
