Music and Fashion entrepreneur Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is under fire once again, this time by animal activists who were outraged to find that live penguins were used as props at a recent Miami event he hosted. Representatives from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) were shocked upon discovering six penguins floating in a swimming pool at Hotel Victor’s grand opening at South Beach, because the animals are only acclimatized to artic temperatures. The group has since criticized Combs and the organizers behind the event and may press charges of animal cruelty. “Penguins live in very cold climates, so the heat was probably unbearable for them,” PETA spokesperson Michael McGraw exclaimed to Page Six. “They’re very sensitive to temperatures, so if it was as hot as we’ve heard, it’s a wonder they didn’t collapse. In any case, they were likely terrified. We are now looking into whether having the penguins there broke any cruelty-to-animals laws. We’re asking anyone who was at the party to call us with any information.” In defense, Combs publicist Rob Shuter has stood up for the Combs, claiming that it wasn’t his idea to display the penguins at the gala and he merely served as a host for the event. Representatives for Hotel Victor alleged that the penguins were actually “warm-weather” animals from South Africa that were “trained specifically for entertainment, expositions and television commercials.” As of press time, calls to Bad Boy were unreturned in relation to the matter.
Music and Fashion
entrepreneur Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is under fire once again, this
time by animal activists who were outraged to find that live penguins were used
as props at a recent Miami event he hosted.
Representatives from People
for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) were shocked upon discovering six penguins
floating in a swimming pool at Hotel Victor’s grand opening at South Beach,
because the animals are only acclimatized to artic temperatures.
The group has since criticized
Combs and the organizers behind the event and may press charges of animal cruelty.
“Penguins live in
very cold climates, so the heat was probably unbearable for them,” PETA
spokesperson Michael McGraw exclaimed to Page Six. “They’re very sensitive
to temperatures, so if it was as hot as we’ve heard, it’s a wonder they didn’t
collapse. In any case, they were likely terrified. We are now looking into whether
having the penguins there broke any cruelty-to-animals laws. We’re asking anyone
who was at the party to call us with any information.”
In defense, Combs publicist
Rob Shuter has stood up for the Combs, claiming that it wasn’t his idea
to display the penguins at the gala and he merely served as a host for the event.
Representatives for Hotel
Victor alleged that the penguins were actually “warm-weather” animals
from South Africa that were “trained specifically for entertainment, expositions
and television commercials.”
As of press time,
calls to Bad Boy were unreturned in relation to the matter.
