Latest news with #JackHiggs
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Australia's most notorious vegan activist begs fans for $30,000 to leave the country
A notorious vegan activist has asked her followers to help her raise $30,000 so she can pay a travel bond and attend an animal rights 'camp out' abroad. Tash Peterson, 31, surrendered her passport and declared bankruptcy in May this year after losing a defamation suit. Western Australian Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan found in 2024 that she and her boyfriend, Jack Higgs, had published defamatory claims about a vet 'eating her own patients'. Peterson and Higgs were ordered to pay $280,000 in damages. But the young activist wants to travel to the United Kingdom and deliver a speech at the Vegan Camp Out Festival in Hertfordshire over the final weekend of August. She and Higgs will have to pay a $30,000 bond for their bankruptcy trustees to retrieve their passports. 'We are bankrupt and need $30,000 to get to the UK for the Vegan Camp Out,' she said in a video shared with her followers on social media. Higgs claimed the pair were 'forced into bankruptcy' by the defamation case. 'Our bankruptcy trustees said that we have to pay $30,000 if we want to go to the UK, because they're concerned we're going to flee Australia for good,' Peterson said. 'Because of this we're trying to raise funds so that I can give my speech... the only purpose of our trip is so that I can speak up for non-human animals not to run away.' Higgs said the bond, once returned after the trip, would go to funding the Farm Transparency Project, which produced the vegan cult film Dominion. Peterson's mother, Sally, is hosting the pair's GoFundMe page online, which has so far raised $3,200. In April this year, WA vet Kay McIntosh's lawyer, Martin Bennett, said neither Peterson nor Higgs had 'attempted to pay a cent' of the defamation damages. The Daily Mail has contacted Peterson for comment. Peterson has carried out controversial protests on several occasions including 'gatecrashing' restaurants and agricultural events. In March, she burst into The Lamb Shop at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast playing the 'screams of terrified animals' from a speaker attached to her belt. 'Do the screams make you feel guilty?' she asked customers before she was confronted by a worker. She has also covered her body in fake blood on numerous occasions and paraded through public locations while carrying pro-veganism signs. Last year, the semi-clad activist protested in a bloodied stunt outside David Jones on Hay Street in Perth's CBD. She highlighted the message by lying on top of a 'blood-soaked chopping block' which read: 'David Jones: Drop Wild-Animal Skins'. Peterson launched an OnlyFans page in 2022 to fund her career-activist ambitions, publishing a lengthy video explaining the move at the time. 'I get accused of being an attention seeker, I get accused of sexualising myself, I get accused of just doing my animal rights activism to promote my OnlyFans account,' she said. 'Obviously in our society today we think women are treated equally however there is so much ingrained misogyny amongst men and women today because a lot of people are saying women shouldn't be wearing lingerie, they shouldn't be going on OnlyFans and getting paid to be topless or naked. 'I completely dispute this because I think women should be able to do whatever the hell they want to with their bodies.' Her OnlyFans revenue was scrutinised in court in April, following the bankruptcy declaration. The justice rejected the pursuant's attempts to conflate Peterson's activism and her trust company, V-Gan Booty PTY LTD, which owns her subscription operations. He said Peterson's OnlyFans revenue was likely boosted by her notoriety as an activist, but said not all of her actions were 'in her capacity as a director or agent of the company', according to the West Australian. The company raked in $250,952 in taxable income for the financial year 2021-22, of which $132,948 came from online subscription sales.
The Australian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Australian
Vegan activist Tash Peterson raising $30,000 to travel to UK festival
A controversial vegan activist who filed for bankruptcy after a court found she had defamed a Perth vet is attempting to raise money to leave Australia for 'the world's biggest vegan camp out' in the United Kingdom. Tash Peterson and boyfriend Jack Higgs had their passports confiscated when they filed for bankruptcy in May, after WA Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan ordered they pay $280,000 in damages. Justice Quinlan found the pair had published defamatory claims that a Bicton vet was 'eating her own patients', with Ms Peterson claiming the court battled meant her 'personal accounts have been wiped'. The pair returned to social media on Friday to urge their supporters to donate to a GoFundMe campaign to help them acquire $30,000 demanded by their bankruptcy trustees 'because they're concerned we are going to flee Australia for good'. Vegan activist Tash Peterson and her boyfriend Jack Higgs declared bankruptcy and surrendered their passports after a failed defamation action with a vet. Picture: Instagram. 'Because of this, we are trying to raise funds so that I can give my speech at the Vegan Camp Out,' Peterson said in a video. 'The only purpose of our trip is to speak up for non-human animals. Not to run away. 'We only have one week to raise the $30,000'. The pair said the funds, which will contribute to a bond, will be returned to them when they return to Australia and forfeit their passports once again, and will then go to the animal NGO, Farm Transparency Project. Ms Peterson is listed as a speaker for the vegan Camp Out, a four-day festival at Bygrave Woods in Hertfordshire which includes talks from vegan activists such as Paul McCartney's ex-wife, Heather Mills. Ms Peterson is most well-known for protests staged outside restaurants and agricultural shows. Picture: Facebook The GoFundMe campaign is being run by Ms Peterson's mother, Sally, and as of Saturday morning had raised more than $2000 to a target of $5500, with donations ranging from $20 to as large as $300. The festival website describes Ms Peterson as a WA-based animal activist 'known for her bold and attention-grabbing approach' with a 'controversial style which often includes civil disobedience'. Ms Peterson is most well-known for protests staged outside restaurants and agricultural shows, and according to her own social media have resulted in 30 police move-on orders, three restraining orders, and 17 convictions.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Vegan activist Tash Peterson raising $30,000 to leave Australia after defamation suit
A controversial vegan activist who filed for bankruptcy after a court found she had defamed a Perth vet is attempting to raise money to leave Australia for 'the world's biggest vegan camp out' in the United Kingdom. Tash Peterson and boyfriend Jack Higgs had their passports confiscated when they filed for bankruptcy in May, after WA Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan ordered they pay $280,000 in damages. Justice Quinlan found the pair had published defamatory claims that a Bicton vet was 'eating her own patients', with Ms Peterson claiming the court battled meant her 'personal accounts have been wiped'. The pair returned to social media on Friday to urge their supporters to donate to a GoFundMe campaign to help them acquire $30,000 demanded by their bankruptcy trustees 'because they're concerned we are going to flee Australia for good'. 'Because of this, we are trying to raise funds so that I can give my speech at the Vegan Camp Out,' Peterson said in a video. 'The only purpose of our trip is to speak up for non-human animals. Not to run away. 'We only have one week to raise the $30,000'. The pair said the funds, which will contribute to a bond, will be returned to them when they return to Australia and forfeit their passports once again, and will then go to the animal NGO, Farm Transparency Project. Ms Peterson is listed as a speaker for the vegan Camp Out, a four-day festival at Bygrave Woods in Hertfordshire which includes talks from vegan activists such as Paul McCartney's ex-wife, Heather Mills. The GoFundMe campaign is being run by Ms Peterson's mother, Sally, and as of Saturday morning had raised more than $2000 to a target of $5500, with donations ranging from $20 to as large as $300. The festival website describes Ms Peterson as a WA-based animal activist 'known for her bold and attention-grabbing approach' with a 'controversial style which often includes civil disobedience'. Ms Peterson is most well-known for protests staged outside restaurants and agricultural shows, and according to her own social media have resulted in 30 police move-on orders, three restraining orders, and 17 convictions.
News.com.au
10-05-2025
- News.com.au
Tash Peterson's long history of vegan activism revealed
Controversial vegan activist Tash Peterson has declared bankruptcy and surrendered her passport following a failed defamation case with a vet, marking another wild step in her long history in activism. Ms Peterson and her boyfriend Jack Higgs lost a defamation case initiated by Bicton Veterinary Clinic owner Kay McIntosh and her husband Andrew over comments Peterson made in a video she shared to social media. WA Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan found Ms Peterson and Mr Higgs published defamatory claims and were ordered to pay $280,000 in damages. Dr McIntosh won bankruptcy orders against them last month. According to The West Australian, Ms Peterson and Mr Higgs were bankrupted based on $172,911 found owing to Dr McIntosh. Peterson said in a video posted to social media they were officially bankrupt and their passports were being taken away. 'On top of that, our personal accounts have been wiped, which means we have no money for everyday living expenses,' the activist said. 'So our money can be taken from us, and so can our passports, but our voices for non human people will never be taken away from us and will never stop speaking up for the victims of animal exploitation and the animal holocaust.' Mr Higgs said as a result of a defamation trial they were unsuccessful in, they now owed more than half a million dollars to a vet clinic. 'So we're going to head into a bankruptcy office and we're going to officially surrender our passports,' he said. The defamation case follows a long history in activism for Ms Peterson. She was prohibited from leaving WA for six months and slapped with fines in August 2024 after protesting at the high-end Fyre restaurant in Perth. She pleaded guilty to two trespass and disorderly behaviour charges for two separate stand offs at the restaurant. During the protests, the activist played loud audio of squealing pigs while shouting about an 'animal apocalypse' as diners tried to enjoy their food. Ms Peterson also had a war of words with Piers Morgan on live television, with the British media personality condemning her use of the word 'holocaust' in relation to animal rights. 'Why would you use the word holocaust? Holocaust is the mass extermination of more than six million Jewish people by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis,' he said in 2022. 'Why would you use that very emotive language knowing it would offend people?' The activist shot back it was a 'factual statement' to describe the killing of animals for food as a Holocaust. 'If you look at the definition of a holocaust it is slaughter or destruction on a mass scale. 'Multiple holocausts have occurred throughout human history and non-human animals can be subjected to the same atrocities that humans can.' In 2023, her Instagram account @vganbooty, disappeared from the social media platform. Those who tried to visit her Instagram page were met with an error page that flags her account as 'may have been removed'. This came after her series of protests at high-end stores smeared in blood and red liquid to call attention to what she sees as human abuse of animals.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Notorious vegan activist declares bankruptcy
Vegan activist Tash Peterson and her boyfriend Jack Higgs have declared bankruptcy and surrendered their passports after failed defamation action with a vet. The pair lost a defamation case initiated by Bicton Veterinary Clinic owner Kay McIntosh and her husband Andrew over comments Peterson made in a video she shared to social media. WA Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan found Peterson and Higgs published defamatory claims and were ordered to pay $280,000 in damages. Dr McIntosh won bankruptcy orders against them last month. According to The West Australian, Ms Peterson and Mr Higgs were bankrupted based on $172,911 found owing to Dr McIntosh. Peterson said in a video posted to social media they were officially bankrupt and their passports were being taken away. 'On top of that, our personal accounts have been wiped, which means we have no money for everyday living expenses,' the activist said. 'So our money can be taken from us, and so can our passports, but our voices for non human people will never be taken away from us and will never stop speaking up for the victims of animal exploitation and the animal holocaust.' Higgs said as a result of a defamation trial they were unsuccessful in, they now owed more than half a million dollars to a vet clinic. 'So we're going to head into a bankruptcy office, and we're going to officially surrender our passports,' he said.
