Music

Rod Stewart lashes out at Newfoundland seal industry

by Jesse Locke

There was more saltiness than just the sea air in St. John’s, Newfoundland over the weekend when Rod Stewart flew in to headline an outdoor festival. Following an unexpected temperature drop, the peacocking pop star and his dancers stopped at a clothing store ironically named Always In Vogue – a store self-proclaimed to be “renown worldwide for handcrafted seal skin jackets” [sic] — to pick up some extra layers for their performance. Store owner Darren Holloran then asked Rod the God to pose in a jacket that was revealed to be made from sealskin.

When this casual snap began making the rounds in support of the seal industry, it added kindling to the angry comment campfire between the anti-fur crew and pro-sealing lobby. The “enraged” Stewart responded in Morrissey fashion, and followed it up with an extended Facebook post, excerpted below.

“On their way out, the store clerk wanted to take a photo with Rod and asked if he would pose in one the store’s jackets and Rod obliged. He was not being fitted for it as has been alleged and had no intention of buying it.

Rod regrets that he didn’t check what the jacket was made of but was so grateful for the shop’s help, he did not. Rod has since been very upset to learn that the shop has been using this image as an advertisement for an industry that he does not know much about and certainly does not support.

Rod went there to play music and as always had an absolute blast performing to the people of Canada.”

As CBC Music reported, Halloran expressed his apologies for the incident, but meant no ill will with the photo expressing his pride in a Newfoundland institution.

“I would apologize that he has to deal with the most bullied industry in the world right now,” he said. “We didn’t intentionally try to hurt him. I put up that picture as a proud Newfoundlander. We were very proud to have him and very honoured to have him here.”