Lewis Hamilton does not like to stay idle during breaks in the F1 season. Somewhere or the other, the Briton will make an appearance, be it a fashion event or a music fest. Similarly, on June 13th, Chanel hosted its 15th Annual Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner. It was a star-studded event, graced by the likes of Robert De Niro, Penelope Cruz, Andrew Garfield, and Hamilton as well. But what caught the eyes of fans was a big mistake from New York’s iconic French brassiere Balthazar and their menu for the night.
Lewis Hamilton switched to being a vegan in 2017. Following that diet, he saw a great change in his fitness levels. In turn, his passion to advocate the vegan diet increased so much, that he even invested in a plant-based Burger joint, called Neat Burger. As of today, Neat Burger is worth over $100 million, with branches across the UK and the USA. Although, despite being known for being vocal about veganism, Balthazar’s menu had no vegan options for him.
omg did he not eat? 😭 whoever made these menus sleep with one eye open bc when i find you… pic.twitter.com/YphAlyrTrj
— cess 🏳️⚧️ (@VARMILT0N) June 13, 2023
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Photos shared from the event show the menu having ‘Steak Frites’, ‘East Coast Halibut’, and a ‘Balthazar Salad’. While the first two are meat-based options, the third is vegetarian, not vegan. The only items that the 7-time champion could have consumed were tea or coffee. The photos on Twitter went viral, garnering over 250K views.
Though we don’t know how Lewis Hamilton felt, infuriated fans of the Briton spoke their hearts out in his support.
Fans React to Chanel’s Non-Vegan Dinner for Lewis Hamilton
The photos shared from the event show Lewis Hamilton sitting with other celebrity attendees. While all of them had a plate full of food in front of them, Hamilton was the only one sitting with no plate. It might have been that Hamilton chose to stick to his diet since he is a performance athlete. But fans were quick to bash Balthazar and Chanel for such “disrespectful” actions.
As a vegan for 6 yrs+ we always eat before we go out to events, etc. I love Lewis for sticking true to his health and his values 🥹 this man 💜
— 𝓐𝓵𝔂𝓼𝓼𝓐 (@_alyssabeth_) June 13, 2023
So disrespectful, if this was an event centered around him. He is a public person, everyone knows he is vegan. Also, as vegans, we tend to eat prior to an event, if we are not sure if there will be vegan options.
— callmeB (@bkgraziuso) June 13, 2023
While fans often get angry at the smallest of inconvenience to their beloved drivers, the New York brasserie would certainly have arranged something for the F1 legend a la carte, perhaps.
Wasn't this event centered around him? Extremely disrespectful that they didn't consider his needs.
— Lluvia Cardenas (@LluviaCardena15) June 13, 2023
So it is debatable whether it was disrespectful or not. Regardless, Lewis seems to have adjusted well at the event & maybe disregarded the lack of vegan food options.
There's no plate in front of him – just his phone…
— ElizaBetty.44 (@scuba13) June 14, 2023
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As a vegan I feel his pain. Hopefully he ate before.
— side eyeing above my mask (@blk_mascara) June 13, 2023
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One would imagine that events organized by such elite organizations would keep in mind such straightforward details. But it was not to be for Hamilton as he sat there with a smile, with a phone instead of a plate. Let’s hope it was what the vegan fans commented – he might have eaten before going to the event.
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