Dakota Johnson Slammed by PETA for Involvement in Fashion Campaign

The actress modeled for a recent Gucci campaign that's under scrutiny.

PETA, the nonprofit organization also known as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is criticizing actress Dakota Johnson for her involvement in a recent Gucci campaign.

The 33-year-old modeled for Gucci in a shoot showing off their new Jackie 1961 handbags, some of which are made of python and crocodile skin, which the fashion label shared on social media on Jan. 10.

On the brand's official website, Gucci proudly states that the bags, which range in price from around $4,000 to over $30,000, are authentic.

On the listing for the Jackie 1961 small python bag, it says in the description, "The Jackie 1961 is introduced in python, the precious leather drawing attention to its historical half-moon silhouette and piston hardware."

In response to Gucci's use of real animal skin and Johnson's association with the brand, PETA wrote a scathing letter addressed to the actress, which was published by TMZ.

Jessica Shotorbani, Celebrity Outreach Principal for PETA, described in horrific detail in the letter how slaughterhouses in Indonesia that reportedly supply the skins to Gucci for their products kill the reptiles, supported by a recent investigation.

Shotorbani even pointed out, "The killing of these snakes is so cruel that in California, it would be illegal to buy the very goods you're promoting, because their sale is banned."

This fact is confirmed by Gucci, as the website states on any python product, "Note that python products may not be shipped to California."

The letter from PETA to Johnson ends with Shotorbani saying, "Gucci's use of exotic skins and your promotion of its products are extremely damaging. Please, may we hear from you today that you'll pledge to stop wearing and promoting exotic-skin fashion items?"

As of writing, Johnson has not yet responded to PETA's letter.

Johnson's family also has an interesting history with animal rights. Her grandmother, Tippi Hedren, currently lives with around 13 lions and tigers at her home in California.

According to an interview Johnson had on The Graham Norton Show, "There used to be like 60 cats, and now there’s just a couple. By the time I was born, they were all in huge compounds and it was a lot safer. It wasn’t as totally psycho as it was when they first started.”

The host, Graham Norton, also showed Johnson a photo of her mother, Melanie Griffiths, jumping into the pool as a child as a lion went for her leg. Johnson responded, "It is what it is," before assuring the audience that her mother didn't lose a leg.

While Hedren's big cat rescue efforts are much safer now, she has been greatly criticized in the past for her decision to have a lion as a pet and allow him to roam free and co-exist with her family, something she later admitted was "stupid beyond belief."