Travis Barker Used to Hide Meat in His Pockets Before Telling His Parents He Was Vegan (Exclusive)
Travis Barker Used to Hide Meat in His Pockets Before Telling His Parents He Was Vegan (Exclusive)
Marissa G. MullerMon, September 14, 2026 at 8:45 AM UTC
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Travis BarkerCredit: Humane World for Animals -
Travis Barker is reflecting on what made him want to go vegan and how he’s raising his and wife Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s son, Rocky Thirteen Barker, on a vegan diet
The Blink-182 drummer tells PEOPLE exclusively how “leading by example does so much”
Barker stars in a new campaign for Humane World for Animals to promote how people can make small changes that benefit animals
Travis Barker is recalling the exact moment he decided to give up eating meat.
Three decades ago, when Barker was just 13, the Blink-182 drummer stopped eating the dinner that was being served to him. “I had a very strict father growing up, and you had to eat everything on your plate before you left the dinner table,” the animal rights activist tells PEOPLE exclusively, while discussing his latest partnership with Humane World for Animals. “So I’d be there for hours sometimes — till I figured out I could hide all of the meat in my pockets.”
Barker, 50, who stars in a new campaign for Human World for Animals to promote how people can make small changes that benefit animals, admits, “I got caught eventually. My mom was like, ‘Why is there always ham in your pocket? Why is there always chicken in your pocket?’ ”
Bridging the connection between animal cruelty and the meat on his dinner table changed the course of his life. “As a kid, I didn’t know I was eating pig or I was eating a cow, he says, adding, “Once I figured out both of those things, it was done. I remember clearly sitting at Thanksgiving dinner and telling my dad I don’t eat meat anymore. That was the beginning of me making plant-based meals in my house.”
Travis Barker for Humane World for Animals’ new campaignCredit: Humane World for Animals
These days, Barker promotes animal cruelty-free alternatives through his vegan health brand Barker Wellness, his vegan cannabis brand Barker Canna, his investments in vegan restaurants such as Crossroads Kitchen and partnerships like with Humane World for Animals.
For the campaign, Barker is sharing tangible ways people can curb their impact on animals: “Everything from being conscious of where you adopt your animal from and supporting a shelter” to using “cruelty-free products” and “not wearing animals — like leather jackets and fur ... I think that those three things go a long way,” Barker says.
While Barker keeps his wardrobe and his own meals animal-free, he thinks that “one plant-based meal a week is awesome.” “Go to a great vegan restaurant,” he shares. “Go to Crossroads where they trick you and you don’t even know you’re eating vegan, it doesn’t say vegan anywhere on the menu — you’re celebrating great food. Find restaurants like that, and there’s a ton of them, and I think that goes a long way. Not having meat every day could be a good start.”
At home, he and his youngest child, 2-year-old Rocky Thirteen Barker, whom he shares with wife Kourtney Kardashian Barker, eat vegan. Barker’s 20-year-old daughter with ex-wife Shanna Moakler, Alabama Barker, also eats vegan. “My wife isn’t vegan, Atiana isn’t vegan, Landon is not vegan, but they eat vegan meals with me several times a week,” Barker shares of his stepdaughter Atiana De La Hoya, 27, and eldest son Landon Barker, 22, adding that Rocky loves to eat vegan.
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Travis Barker for Humane World for Animals and with son Rocky Thirteen BarkerCredit: Humane World for Animals; Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram
“There’s so many good substitutes. I make my son Rocky vegan egg whites every morning, and they’re amazing,” Barker says of Rocky’s vegan diet. “Also he loves gluten-free vegan bread and vegan butter. He loves vegan sushi. There’s a spot called MaKin Vegan Sushi in the Valley in Los Angeles. Bonkers, the best vegan sushi ever. He loves edamame. I think there’s so many choices that are great for kids.”
Given Rocky’s love of animals, Barker suspects that his toddler son will eventually make the same connection that led him to become vegan. “He loves animals; loves dinosaurs and any book about animals,” Barker explains. “He’s also a Scorpio, just like me. He was born November 1st, I was born November 14th. Rocky and I are very similar and I feel like when he figures out everything like I did, he’s gonna be the same way because he eats just like me.”
Barker shares of his parenting, “Leading by example does so much. That’s how Rocky’s been raised and it’s completely influenced what he eats and what he likes to eat, and being conscious of what products you have in your house goes a long way.”
Travis Barker for Human World for AnimalsCredit: Humane World for Animals
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But he’s quick to add that he doesn’t approach others who consume meat — whether friends or family members at holiday celebrations — with judgment. “Whatever his choice is when he’s old enough to make it will be his,” Barker tells PEOPLE. “I don’t like to be preachy and I don’t like extremists on any side of anything. Enlightening people to where they’re like, ‘Oh, I wanna try that,’ or ‘That sounds good,’ or ‘That’s interesting.’ I think that’s the best I can do.”
Barker is more concerned with spreading positivity, for which he also credits his recently released documentary on Hulu, Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear.
The Give the Drummer Some musician says of the reception the documentary received, “I’ve made some albums I’m really, really proud of. I’ve designed some clothes I’m really, really proud of. I’ve done a bunch of things in my life I’m really, really proud of but no matter what people critique it and they’ll find a problem with anything, right? And I’ve never received so much love and positive feedback as I did from my documentary. Whether it’s people getting sober or people finding their relationship with their father, or people wanting to be better parents — it’s just been an abundance of love. It’s been awesome. So very rare that happens.”
As Barker says in the PSA for his Human World for Animals campaign video, “Just do good. That’s the move.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
