National Enquirer Article: What's Truth, What's Not?

The May 22, 2006 issue of the National Enquirer includes an article on page 4 about our campaign to persuade Hilary Duff to stop supporting the Rodeo and Bullfighting Mafias. As has been the case from the start of this campaign in March 2006, no one from the Duff family has responded to our questions or charges. The Duff attorney, Stanton Stein, however, did speak out, and what he said spoke volumes about Hilary Duff. Read the article and SHARK's response below to find out exactly what is the truth and what is misinformation and propaganda.

National Enquirer:
ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUPS RIDE HERD ON HILARY DUFF

“LIZZY MCGUIRE” star and Disney darling Hilary Duff’s career as a singing rodeo sweetheart has lassoed her into a heap of trouble from animal rights activists!

Hilary’s 2005-2006 performances at the Houston Rodeo, a 2006 concert at a San Antonio rodeo and her planned appearance at a bullfight arena in Spain have enraged animal supporters strapping on their spurs for an all-out slugfest against Duff.

“If she’s going to play these kinds of venues, where animals are killed and cruelly treated, we are going to call her on it,” Steve Hindi, president of Showing animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), told the ENQUIRER.

SHARK deluged Hilary’s offices with bloody videotapes of cruelty in rodeos and bullfights, and is calling for their supporters to protest Hilary’s actions by contacting her corporate affiliates – Kohl’s Department Stores and Candie’s fashions.

SHARK is a 14-year-old animal rights organization which focuses on cruelty to animals in bullfights and rodeos.

Being cast as the villain is a new role for Hilary – in the past she’s been praised by animals rights groups for her line of cruelty-free cosmetics and service as spokesperson for a horse rescue operation.

Hilary’s attorney, Stanton Stein, stated, “After all her high-profile and generous work on behalf of animals, Ms. Duff is now being aggressively and unfairly singled out by a small fringe group that touts itself an animal rights group. They have sent threatening letters and demand that Ms. Duff not perform, as part of world tour, at a musical/sporting arena in Barcelona, Spain. Built in 1992, the arena was used as the basketball stadium for the 1992 Olympics, which hosted the Gold Medal winning Dream Team with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. “Since then, the arena has hosted such major musical acts as Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Robbie Williams, Judas Priest, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and the Backstreet Boys, to name a few.

“The group has taken exception with Ms. Duff performing earlier this year at rodeos in Texas. A native of Texas, Ms. Duff performed at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, which also featured musical performances from Trisha Yearwood, Sheryl Crow, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn and Lee Ann Womack. The Houston show, like many rodeos, gives out thousands of educational scholarships throughout the year, which is one of the most important reasons Ms. Duff chose to participate.”

SHARK Stops Hilary's Spin Machine

Duff’s lawyer, Stanton Stein, would have us believe that since Hilary has paid lip service to some animal issues, we should now give her a pass on making money at animal abusive venues. But before we deal with that ridiculous concept, let’s look at Hilary’s “high profile and generous work on behalf of animals,” and other aspects of Mr. Stein’s statement. Click here to read the letter that SHARK sent to Mr. Stein.

First, Ms. Duff is a FORMER celebrity spokesperson of Return to Freedom (RTF), a legitimate and well-regarded horse sanctuary. Who knows exactly why Ms. Duff no longer speaks for the group, but if she was truly committed, it is doubtful that she would be a FORMER spokesperson.

Second, Duff has a line of supposed cruelty-free cosmetics. While this is a good thing, her primary purpose for putting her name on these products is to make money – it is not a selfless endeavor.

Stein is correct that we have singled Ms. Duff out – for claiming to care about animals while aligning herself with some of the worst animal abusers on the planet – and we will continue to do so. The intent here is to send a loud message not just to the Duffs, but to ALL entertainers and sponsors of cruelty that they may be next to be exposed if they support animal abuse.

Ms. Duff’s lawyer goes on in the Enquirer article to claim that SHARK has sent Ms. Duff “threatening letters.” This is absurd. The only letter SHARK has sent Hilary Duff is posted on the DumpDuff.com website, and it’s not threatening. SHARK challenges Mr. Stein to produce the fictitious “threatening letters,” but, to be sure, he will not.

Stein goes on to defend Hilary’s appearance in a sporting facility in Barcelona, Spain, and gives a list of other entertainers who have performed there. Of course, we don’t care who else supports bullfighting; that doesn't make torture acceptable and is simply the childish whine "But all the OTHER kids did it too!"

Beyond that, our complaint against Ms. Duff was for a performance at a bullring in Madrid – not a sporting facility in Barcelona! This is the kind of unscrupulous behavior that causes all lawyers to be unfairly branded as sleazy. But in spite of the gross misinformation already spewing from the mouth of Duff’s attorney, he was just getting warmed up.

Stein goes on to give a list of entertainers who have performed at rodeos to try to legitimize Duff’s performances there. He also claims that it is OK for Duff to perform at rodeos because, in his words, “The Houston show, like many rodeos, gives out thousands of educational scholarships throughout the year, which is one of the most important reasons Ms. Duff chose to participate.”

We can only assume from this statement that if the seal murderers in Canada, or the pigeon shooters in Pennsylvania, or the dog fighters in Chicago, or the fur industry or any other animal abusers start giving out scholarships, Hilary Duff will be in their corner. With her hypocrisy exposed, and unable to put up any credible defense, Hilary Duff has demonstrated where she (via her lawyer) truly stands, and it is on the side of cruelty.

Let’s set the record straight. As is our policy, SHARK made numerous attempts to quietly reach out to Ms. Duff with our concerns about her appearances at rodeos, and about her planned bullring appearance a full month before it occurred. We sent video and pictures of rodeos and bullfighting to her publicist, her management and through private individuals who know her. The receipt of these materials is acknowledged in the Enquirer article. All of our attempts to make contact were ignored by Ms. Duff, her parents, her management, etc.

The first and only response from the Duff camp comes from a lawyer making slick and sleazy claims that come straight out of the propaganda handbook of the Rodeo Mafia. Let us not forget who is paying this slickster’s bill – Hilary Duff.

At no time in the article does Mr. Stein address the horrific treatment of animals in rodeos or bullrings whatsoever. If Ms. Duff had a defense or a defense to make, she would have done so by now.

Finally, Duff’s attorney attempts in an obvious manner to impugn our reputation by referring to SHARK as “a small fringe group that touts itself an animal rights group.” This is just the kind of thing we would expect from the Rodeo or Bullfighting Mafias.

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