Following a recent court ruling that found him liable for sexual assault, rapper Soulja Boy is facing new controversy—this time from the animal rights organization PETA. The group has announced a protest against Soulja Boy’s upcoming concert with fellow artist Bow Wow at SeaWorld San Diego on Saturday, accusing the rappers of supporting a facility PETA calls an “abusement park.”
According to a PETA statement, supporters will hold signs reading, “Soulja Boy: YOUUUUUUUU Should Boycott SeaWorld” and “Bow Wow: Don’t Support SeaWorld’s Cruelty.” The organization alleges that animals at the park are “denied everything that’s natural to them” and that dolphins are “sexually abused and sometimes drugged so they can’t fight back in its breeding program.”
Tracy Reiman, PETA’s Executive Vice President, condemned the practices, stating, “SeaWorld drags dolphins out of the water and forcibly inseminates them, all so the next generation can be forced to perform degrading tricks and die early.” She called on Soulja Boy and Bow Wow to “face the music” and stop promoting the “cruel marine prison” until it releases its animals to seaside sanctuaries.
PETA highlighted the case of Corky, the longest-held captive orca in the world, as a prime example of the park’s alleged cruelty. The organization notes that Corky was taken from her mother and ocean home in 1969 and has since been used as a “breeding machine.” All of her calves died, with none surviving past 47 days. Her last pregnancy reportedly ended in a miscarriage, with her dead baby found at the bottom of a concrete tank at SeaWorld.
PETA, whose motto states that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment,” concludes by pointing out that Every Animal Is Someone and offering free “Empathy Kits” to the public. For more information, the organization directs people to its website, PETA.org.