Daisy Ridley is fired up after learning the University of Massachusetts – Amherst reportedly experimented on monkeys named after Star Wars characters.
The English actress, who played Rey in the sequel trilogy, sent a letter to UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy on behalf of the animal rights group PETA, stating, “I obviously have a deep connection with this franchise, and it breaks my heart to hear that the names of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and several other beloved characters are now associated with such cruelty.”
In graphic detail, Ridley noted several of the experiments reportedly performed on tiny marmosets named after the iconic characters.
PETA had previously publicized video of tests performed on one marmoset named after Princess Leia and another who bore the namesake of Leia’s father, Anakin Skywalker. Isolation, sleep and water deprivation, and stress-inducing loud noises were purportedly part of the experiments, according to the videos shown.
Ridley concludes, “Would you please take a look at the torment that these delicate animals are forced to endure, make the compassionate decision to end these experiments and release the adorable marmosets
to a sanctuary, and then direct the resources instead toward human-relevant, animal-free science?”
PETA notes other Star Wars veterans, including Mark Hamill, Natalie Portman, and Solo leads Thandie Newton and Woody Harrelson have also come out against animal experimentation.
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