You might know Jenna Ortega from the popular Netflix show “Wednesday.” She is an up-and-coming actress in America. Her talents and personality have won the hearts of many worldwide.
Jenna is also vocal about her support for veganism and animal rights. She claimed that she was vegan for quite a long time, until 2022.
But in a recent interview with WIRED, she opened up about how filming this show in Romania forced her to stop being vegan. This has made her fans wonder, “Is Jenna Ortega still vegan?” “Is she still committed to a plant-based lifestyle?
Let’s find out. Keep reading to learn about Jenna Ortega’s lifestyle choices and whether she is a vegan. We’ll also explore a bit more about her background.
Veganism in Hollywood
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet. In other words, it is basically a diet based on plants like vegetables, nuts, grains, and fruits, as well as plant-derived foods. About 4% of the US population is vegan, according to Statista.
Vegan celebrities have inspired many of us to consider switching to plant-based diets. Many Hollywood celebrities have turned to veganism—Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Madonna, Ellie Goulding, Jenna Ortega, and the list goes on.
That’s because they believe it has plenty of health benefits (and it really does!). Another reason is to avoid animal cruelty or ethical issues.
Now, let’s jump into a biography of Jenna Ortega before we know whether she is vegan or not.
A Sneak Peek Into Jenna Ortega’s Life
Jenna Marie Ortega is an American actress who has appeared in You, Wednesday, Scream, and X. Wednesday was the film that elevated her stardom and net worth after 2022.
She was born in Coachella Valley, California, on September 27th, 2002, and grew up in La Quinta, California, with five other siblings.
Jenna’s father is of Mexican descent and works as a sheriff at California’s district attorney’s office. Her mother works as a nurse and is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent.
Jenna attended Amelia Earhart Elementary School and John Glenn Middle School. Her acting career began when she was just nine years old. Jenna played minor roles before securing a role in the Disney channel series Stuck in the Middle.
Since she started acting very young, she didn’t get to experience a normal childhood like other kids. As a result, Jenna was homeschooled for most of high school. She sometimes regrets it but is grateful for where she stands now.
After gaining fame, she earned a huge salary. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jenna Ortega’s Net worth is reported to be $5 million as of 2024.
Jenna Ortega: Early Career
Jenna Ortega’s career began in 2012 when she played a minor role in a TV sitcom, Rob, and later as a guest appearance on CSI: NY. She also appeared in 2016 as a young Jane in The CW comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin.
Jenna Ortega is also the voice of Princess Isabel in the Disney Channel animated TV series Elena of Avalor. Mostly, she has worked in horror movies and shows.
Although Jenna is not interested in being “pigeonholed” in her career, she is positioning herself as the diva of the horror genre.
It might also be the next logical step for Ortega’s career because no one has really held that title since Jamie Lee Curtis took on the “Halloween” franchise.
What Is Jenna Ortega’s Height And Weight?
Jenna Ortega has a petite body (slim and short). Her height is reportedly 5 ft 1 in (155 cm) and weighs around 46 kg (101 lbs).
Jenna Ortega’s Lifestyle
Jenna Ortega highly prioritizes her health and enjoys an active lifestyle. She focuses on doing yoga, running, weights, and hiking. She has followed a vegan lifestyle for most of her life.
This was one of the things that contributed to her becoming a global ambassador for an athletic giant, Adidas.
Regarding her diet, she firmly believes in self-deprivation as well as categorizing meals as “good” or “bad.” With her petite body, Jenna focuses on staying active throughout the day in whatever way she can.
Ortega may have a firm belief in spicy cuisine, but it appears that she is not as rigid about her nutrition.
She also took to Twitter to thank all of the dairy substitutes that have been available on the market in recent years. So, it seems that she may still primarily avoid dairy products.
Jenna also revealed that she used to perform autopsies on dead animals during her childhood. She called it somewhat weird, but she found it interesting.
Hold on.
She did not kill any of the animals she necropsied. She just dissected small animals, specifically lizards, postmortem. Jenna Ortega explained that they were usually animals she had discovered dead in her backyard.
When she disclosed in the same interview that she had stopped being a vegan, she no longer eats dead animals; now, she eats only fish!
Is Jenna Ortega Still Vegan?
Apparently, she was vegan “for a long time” but went down to being pescatarian by including fish in her daily diet in 2022. And that was during the shoot in Romania. Pescatarians eat fish and seafood but still avoid other types of meat, such as chicken, mutton, and turkey.
However, she stated that she is “all for” animal-free products and may continue to avoid dairy. She further added that Romanian cuisine wasn’t meeting her nutritional requirements, so she decided to eat fish and other kinds of seafood. That said, she is currently a pescatarian.
Shooting of Wednesday in Romania
Jenna Ortega spent around eight months filming the show in Romania, a Southeastern country, along with her co-stars.
The reason they chose Romania for shooting Wednesday was that the country was a natural fit within the Addams Family universe (If you’ve seen the series, you’ll know what we’re talking about!).
Moreover, while making Romania appear like Vermont was an exceptional task, it helped them find many new places to film in.
Unfortunately, the food in Romania was very different from what she used to eat. Romania’s most popular dishes are sausage rolls, tripe soup, and Radauti soup, a sour chicken soup.
Since most of the recipes contained meat, Jenna had to find alternative ways to meet her daily nutritional requirements.
Although many people love to try new foods and cultures, this country’s cuisine gave Jenna some challenges. So she had to modify her diet a bit and include fish – for good.
In fact, broccoli and salmon are among Ortega’s favorite foods to consume since she started including fish in her diet again, according to Romania Insider.
Veganism is a Personal Choice!
You may have heard of the misconception that being a vegan leads to deficiencies. That’s not true. Everyone’s body is different.
So it’s no surprise! A lot of vegetarians and vegans go back to eating meat once they find it difficult to survive without a non-veg diet. It’s even harder for someone who is often traveling to different countries.
Although Jenna’s diet may seem controversial to some vegans, the point is that you are in charge of your body’s health, even if it means changing your diet when you have no other option.
Veganism is a deeply personal choice. What works best for you is what matters most. It is perfectly OK to be vegan while occasionally consuming fish, even once in a while.
Final Reflection
So, Is Jenna Ortega still Vegan or not? As it turns out, Jenna Ortega was indeed a Vegan for a long time, but now she is a pescatarian. She had to sacrifice her vegan diet while shooting for the “Wednesday” series in Romania.
There were not many vegan options in Romanian cuisine. That being said, circumstances in Romania forced her to adapt to her lifestyle.
Currently, she has a few projects underway, and her fans can’t wait for her upcoming shows, especially Beetlejuice 2 and Wednesday 2.
FAQs
1. What type of food does Jenna Ortega eat?
Ans: Jenna Ortega was vegan before and used to eat animal-free foods. But currently, she is a pescatarian. That means she eats only fish and not other types of meat.
2. Does Jenna Ortega eat dairy?
Ans: No. Jenna Ortega is vegetarian and avoids dairy products as much as possible. But she is OK if there are any cruelty-free options.
3. What race is Jenna Ortega?
Ans: Jenna Ortega is 75% Mexican and 25% Puerto Rican heritage.
4. What is Jenna Ortega’s height and weight?
Ans: Jenna Ortega is 5 ft 1 inch tall and weighs about 46 kg. She has a petite body, yet people find her attractive.
5. Is Jenna Ortega in a relationship?
Ans: No, Jenna Ortega is currently single and not dating anyone.
6. How did Jenna Ortega get abs?
Ans: Jenna Ortega loves lifting weights, and it’s one of her favorite workouts. Along with weight lifting, she also does squats to get toned abs.
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