Has Serena Williams confirmed that she’s vegan? Or is she like sister Venus, a ‘cheating vegan’ aka ‘Cheegan’.

Record-breaking tennis icon Serena Williams is not only known for her incredible skills on the court but also for her advocacy of a vegan lifestyle. While some celebrities may have louder voices in the vegan movement, Serena has consistently used her platform to advocate plant-based living and animal rights.

When did Serena Williams go vegan?

Serena Williams made the switch to a plant-based diet in 2012.  She initially adopted the diet to support her sister Venus, who was advised to try a raw vegan diet after being diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome.

However, after witnessing improvements in her athletic performance and overall health, Serena became a fan.

Serena’s decision to go vegan also aligned with her commitment to animal welfare and environmental consciousness.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Williams said that watching the documentary Forks Over Knives “really opened my eyes to the impact that animal agriculture has on our planet.”

 What has Serena Williams said about veganism?

Serena, who is expecting her second child, has been open about her vegan journey. She has never shied away from ratifying the benefits of a plant-based diet, especially in the field of sports.

She once said: “I think a vegan diet is great for athletes because it gives you a lot of energy and it’s also really good for your joints.”

She also said that she felt better and had more energy after making the switch to a vegan diet.

Apart from sharing recipes, tips, and information about the vegan diet with her millions of followers, the tennis ace has appeared in several vegan advertisements including one for the vegan food company Beyond Meat. She has also spoken at vegan events, such as the VegNews Summerfest. In 2018, she was named PETA’s “Sexiest Vegetarian”.

Is Serena following a strict vegan lifestyle?

Despite reaping the benefits of a vegan diet, in an interview with Essence last year, Serena revealed that she is not completely plant-based and relapses to non-vegan foods.

“I’m not 100% plant-based, but I’ve watched a lot of these documentaries, and they talk about how if everyone cuts back a day or a week, or maybe two days a week, what a difference it can make. And that really spoke to me in terms of how we can do better for the environment,” she told the magazine.  

Similarly, her sister Venus also regards herself as ‘Cheegan’ as she enjoys the guilty pleasure of eating milk products such as cheese in addition to her strict vegan diet.

In a 2020 interview with Essentially Sports, Venus admitted: “I’ve been honest about being a Cheegan. There’s a cheese plate and I’m like “Oh my god”. The next thing you know you’re eating the cheese. You know, you just pass by and in life, there are so many places and there is always something to cheat on. I think over time we become cleaner and cleaner and I think I’m not even two years into the process.”

Is Serena Williams’ family vegan?

Serena Williams’ vegan journey has also extended to her family. In 2019, she revealed that her daughter, Olympia, was following a mostly plant-based diet since birth. Serena expressed her joy in raising her daughter with a cruelty-free and compassionate approach to food.

While Serena and her daughter are inclined towards plant-based fare, her husband, Alexis Ohanian, does not follow the same diet.

Serena’s vegan investments

After going plant-based, Serena has invested in several vegan businesses through Serena Ventures- a venture capital firm she started in 2014.

She is a co-founder of the plant-based food company Kindred Foods.

Last year, the athlete invested in WILE – a vegan hormonal wellness brand catering to women above 40.

The 41-year-old is also an investor in plant-based meat brand Impossible Foods alongside several other high-profile figures such as Bill Gates and Katy Perry.

Serena also launched a fashion line, S by Serena, which features a variety of clothing items made from vegan materials, including vegan leather, vegan suede, and vegan silk.

According to her, she always wanted to create a fashion line that was both stylish and ethical, and using vegan materials is the best way to do that.

She said at the time: “I feel like a lot of things are being killed and we’re not saving the earth. We can all just do one small thing and help out. So that was also a lot of our inspiration.” 

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