The Weeknd has taken the music world by storm, famous for his distinctive sound and mysterious persona. Despite being a Grammy-winning artist, The Weeknd has shied away from media attention, meaning people know very little about his personal life, which might lead to people wondering if The Weeknd is vegan?
The Weeknd eats a mostly vegan diet. Though the singer has never actively declared himself a vegan, his ethnic background and upbringing, along with his takeout preferences indicate that The Weeknd prefers a plant-based diet.
Read more below about The Weeknd’s ethnic origins, his epic Postmates order history, and about those close to him that eat a plant-based diet, too.
Vegan Values
The Weeknd was born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye in Toronto, Canada. Despite being born in Canada, his parents were Ethiopian immigrants who sought refuge in Canada due to the unstable political climate and famine that rocked the African country in the 1980s.
Ethiopia is an African country often in the news for its political unrest and humanitarian crises. Despite the grim global perspective of the country, Ethiopia has a rich cultural history, including its cuisine.
Unknown to many, Ethiopian cuisine is a vegan and vegetarian delight. Much of the country’s cuisine is plant-based, with people routinely abstaining from meat or dairy. Not only that, but much of Ethiopia’s population belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which practices extended periods of vegan fasting, to the point where it’s considered one of the strictest religious institutions in the world.
The Weeknd’s parents split up when he was little and the singer was raised by his mom and grandma. However, he was surrounded by his family’s ethnic influences. Not only does he speak Amharic, Ethiopia’s native language, but his family members continued to be practicing members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, meaning The Weeknd adhered to the church’s vegan diet and fasting all throughout his childhood.
Herbivorous History
Though The Weeknd dropped out of high school and moved away from home at the age of 17, he seems to have maintained the mostly vegan diet he was raised with. The proof can be seen in The Weeknd’s epic takeout and delivery history.
Postmates is one of the most popular delivery services in the United States. Whether someone wants a pint of ice cream or a pair of shoelaces, the platform allows its customers to place and order and get delivery of the item(s) within a few hours.
Celebrities are no different than everyday people in that regard, and Postmates has been a go to for the busy stars, so much so that Postmates has taken to discussing certain celebrities’ order histories on their website. Recently, The Weeknd’s extensive order history was profiled by the company, and the results were a little surprising.
In the past few years, The Weeknd has placed over 300 orders, getting takeout from major chains such as Denny’s and The Cheesecake factory, but noting that the singer really seemed to favor local, family-owned businesses. Not only that, but most of the orders were vegan, especially during the period that the singer was recording his latest album, After Hours.
“Whether it’s veggie bites from Crossroads or an Impossible burger from Vow Burger, The Weeknd keeps it plant-based and extra tasty while supporting Mom & Pop shops,” wrote Postmates representatives who analyzed the singer’s order history. Not only that, but instead of toasting the wrap of his music video (which he shared a snap of on Instagram) with champagne, he had a green juice delivered from upscale health food store, Erewhon.
You can watch an overview of The Weeknd’s Postmates history in the YouTube video below.
Diet Duo
The Weeknd also famously dated Selena Gomez. Though the couple split after less than a year together, Gomez had herself adopted a vegan diet after being diagnosed with lupus in 2015, making it likely that the couple chowed down on vegan or veggie-based meals together during their short-lived courtship.
Though The Weeknd has not come out and directly discussed being a vegan, it’s clear that he has been on a plant-based diet since he was a child, and still maintains that part of his lifestyle today, as well as keeping company with others who do, too.