Protesters Disrupt Pharrell Premiere

The premiere of Piece By Piece, a new biopic about Pharrell Williams, was briefly interrupted by animal rights activists during the London Film Festival on Sunday.

The film, which tells the musician’s life story through Lego, was set to close the festival at the Royal Festival Hall but faced a delay when protesters shouted and unfurled banners from the balcony.

The activists chanted "stop the torture, stop the pain," protesting Louis Vuitton’s use of animal skins and fur.

Pharrell who serves as Louis Vuitton's men's creative director, remained calm on stage and responded to the protestors by saying, "God bless you."

He then addressed the audience, acknowledging the activists' concerns: "The changes they seek don’t happen overnight; it takes a lot of planning, and we are working on those things. But they want to be heard, so we heard them."

Williams has held the position of men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton since February 2023. The fashion house has not yet commented on the incident.

This marks the second disruption of Piece By Piece, following a similar protest at the film’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival last month.

After the London screening, animal rights group PETA claimed responsibility for the protest, criticizing Williams for using wild-animal skins and fur in his Louis Vuitton designs. In a statement, PETA said: "It’s time for him to stop supporting cruelty."

During the previous protest in Toronto, a woman stormed the stage, shouting, "Pharrell, stop supporting killing animals for fashion."

The singer responded by saying, "You know what? You’re right. God bless you." He then told the audience, "Rome wasn’t built in a day. Sometimes, when you have plans to change things, you need to be in a position of power and influence to help progress."

Known for hits like "Happy" and his work as one half of the production duo The Neptunes, Pharrell’s life is explored in Piece By Piece, directed by Morgan Neville.

The film uses Lego bricks to depict his journey from growing up in Virginia to rising to international fame. Set for release in the UK next month, the biopic has been praised by critics for its creative approach.

Source: BBC