Union J Squeezes Into Bathtub in New Anti-SeaWorld Advert for PETA

For Immediate Release:
24 October 2016

Contact:
Olivia Jordan +44 (0) 20 7837 6327, ext 229; [email protected]

UNION J SQUEEZES INTO BATHTUB IN NEW ANTI-SEAWORLD ADVERT FOR PETA

Band Urges Fans to Boycott Marine Park Until Orcas Are Freed From Tiny Tanks and Retired to Sea Sanctuaries

London – In a powerful new PETA campaign, the members of Union J crowd together in a bathtub to illustrate just how tiny the tanks are for orcas imprisoned at SeaWorld. The print ad (available here) shows Josh Cuthbert, JJ Hamblett, Jaymi Hensley, and Casey Johnson – in their first campaign together since Casey joined the group – next to the words “Imagine Spending Your Entire Life in a Small Bathtub. Orcas Deserve to Swim Free. Boycott SeaWorld”.

In an exclusive interview with PETA (available here), Josh says the documentary Blackfish led him to realise that “these beautiful, intelligent animals should not be in captivity. No animals should be in captivity”.

After Jaymi visited the marine park Loro Parque in Spain – where PETA has documented abuse of the orcas, who are on indefinite loan from SeaWorld – Josh showed him Blackfish, and he was equally horrified.

The band notes that while SeaWorld took a step in the right direction by ending its captive orca–breeding program earlier this year, it’s not enough. “[W]e’re not going to stop until every dolphin, every orca, and all the other amazing animals are free in sea sanctuaries”, Josh says.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – notes that in the wild, orcas share intricate social relationships and traverse up to 100 miles of ocean every day. At SeaWorld, orcas are housed in incompatible groups inside tiny concrete tanks, swim endlessly in circles, break their teeth by gnawing on metal tank bars, and are often given the drug diazepam to manage stress-induced, aggressive psychotic behaviour.

Union J joins a long list of celebrities – including Sir Roger Moore, Krysten Ritter, Jason Biggs, Joanna Krupa, Lily Tomlin, Joan Jett, and Tommy Lee – who have teamed up with PETA to speak out against abusement parks that keep intelligent marine mammals in captivity.

For more information, please visit PETA US’ website SeaWorldOfHurt.com.

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