Director Michael Bay has strongly denied allegations that he brutally killed a pigeon on the set of his 2019 film 6 Underground in Italy, insisting that the bird in question was actually a trio of pigeons.
“These accusations are completely false and outrageous,” said Bay in a statement. “I didn’t kill one pigeon, it was three of them.”
According to sources close to the production, Bay allegedly became enraged when a pigeon flew onto the set during filming, causing a delay in production. Witnesses claim that Bay then proceeded to grab a nearby prop machine gun and open fire on the bird, laughing maniacally as it fell to the ground, dead.
But Bay refutes these claims, saying that the pigeon was actually three pigeons that had flown in formation, and that he simply used a prop machine gun to separate them and make them fly in different directions, as they were blocking the filming.
“I’m a lover of all animals, especially birds,” said Bay. “I was just doing them a favor by giving them the opportunity to fly solo.”
This isn’t the first time Bay has been accused of animal cruelty on set. In 2005, he was accused of mistreating elephants during the filming of Bad Boys II, and in 2007, he was accused of using live sharks as props in the film Transformers.
“I think it’s clear that these accusations are just a smear campaign against me and my work,” said Bay. “I’ll continue to make the best action movies out there and will not let these unfounded accusations stop me.”
The animal rights group PETA has also issued a statement condemning Bay’s alleged actions and calling for a boycott of 6 Underground. But Bay had a witty response, “I’m sure PETA will find something else to protest soon enough, maybe the fact that birds fly in the sky or something.“
The Pigeon Rights Association (PRA) could not be reached for comment, but it is rumored that they have started a fundraising campaign to buy a flock of pigeons and release them in the set of the next Michael Bay’s movie.
