Handbag costs $4,000 (€2,926) and is illegal to make in California

Nov 1, 2011 21:41 GMT  ·  By
Reese Witherpoon wears $4,000 (€2,926) python bag, illegal to make in California
   Reese Witherpoon wears $4,000 (€2,926) python bag, illegal to make in California

Though she doesn't come across as the kind of celebrity that PETA would pick fights with, Reese Witherspoon is coming under serious fire with the animal rights group after rocking a purse that is make of exotic skins.

The other day, Reese was photographed running errands. She wore a typically stylish and low-key outfit, accessorized with hat, sunglasses and a very gorgeous brown bag.

A photo of the star out and about is also included with this article, just so you get an idea of the bag that offended PETA.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals must have seen photos of Reese and the bag, and they're demanding some sort of apology as soon as possible.

The bag is made of rare python skin and hasn't been made in California since 1970, when it was outlawed, the group tells the Daily Mail in a statement.

However, it's not illegal to buy it elsewhere and bring it in – but it does send the wrong message that Reese is condoning killing all those exotic animals for fashion.

“No matter how much Reese paid for that bag, the animals paid a much higher price. Every year, millions of snakes are impaled on hooks or nailed to trees by their heads and skinned alive,” PETA says in a statement.

“Hoses are inserted into the mouths of large snakes – like pythons – and their bodies are pumped full of water to loosen their skin so that it will cut away more easily. The animals’ peeled, writhing bodies are then discarded, and it often takes days for the animals to die from the effects of shock and dehydration,” the group adds.

PETA doesn't believe that Reese meant to offend on purpose, but it hopes the star will do something to make things right again.

“We can’t imagine that she’d wish to contribute to this hidden suffering, especially for something as frivolous as a fashion accessory that can be replicated with no bloodshed,” the group says.

“These days, it’s easy to have a look that kills without killing, with fake snake, mock croc, python pleather, and other designer items that pay tribute to the beauty of these animals without massacring them,” adds PETA.