Celebrities slammed for supporting the Melbourne Cup

Celebrities attending the Melbourne Cup Carnival have copped serious flak online from people who are saying ‘Nup to the Cup’ and protesting against animal cruelty.

Flemington Racecourse was awash with stars today as the annual horse racing event got into full swing, despite A-list singer Taylor Swift and model Megan Gale having already made a stand against the event.

Taking to Instagram, protestors commented on the accounts of model Jesinta Franklin, Princess Diana’s niece Lady Kitty Spencer and Bachelor couple Matty J and Laura Byrne, slamming them for showing up at the Melbourne racecourse.

“Really disappointing to see you still supporting the horse racing industry,” one person commented on Jesinta Franklin’s instagram photo, showing her cradling her baby bump while dressed in a stunning, long-sleeved yellow Camilla and Marc gown.

Another person agreed, asking Jesinta why she didn’t tag the Melbourne Cup in her post. “You’re still supporting horse racing #nuptothecup.”

Jesinta wasn’t the only celebrity to cop flak online, as Princess Diana’s niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, also received backlash for a snap she uploaded supporting the Cup.

“So excited to be back at my favourite racing event in the world, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day! Thank you @flemingtonvrc and @lexusaustralia for having me. Backing this handsome boy all the way (and he’s already clearly pretty comfortable with the Cup!) 🏆 Go Prince of Arran!! ,” Lady Kitty wrote alongside a picture of her posing with one of the racing horses and the Melbourne Cup.

“You look beautiful but you may want to reconsider supporting events isig animals for competitive sport.” one person wrote.

Likewise, former Bachelor couple Matty J and Laura Byrne were inundated with comments from protestors, who urged the duo to ‘do their research’.

“Don't promote this race...When there is profit to be made with animals; there is totally unnecessary cruelty. They are not here to run a stupid race so people can have an excuse to dress up and drink,” one commenter said.

“You both look amazing but please consider next year making a stand and saying #nuptothecup. It is cool to be kind!,” another person wrote.

“I love you guys but please make kinder choices and do a bit of research into horse racing,” a fan of the pair said.

Aussie model Gemma Ward thanked Bumble Australia for inviting her along to her first ever Melbourne Cup but fans begged the stunner not to attend next year.

“She always came off to me as someone who loved the environment and animals so I was really surprised to see this on my feed,” one person wrote.

Another person said they were “absolutely shocked” to see the 32-year-old supporting the horse racing event.

Meanwhile, a number of celebrities have come out in support of ‘Nup The Cup’, with Melbourne Cup veteran Megan Gale revealing that she was boycotting the Cup earlier this week.

The 44-year-old has been a regular among the marquees at Flemington for many years but offered no explanation as to why she won't attend next week when she announced her absence on Thursday.

It followed last month's withdrawal of US singer Taylor Swift and actress Lana Condor who last week pulled the plug on her attendance, both citing scheduling issues.

In September, fans praised Taylor Swift for pulling out of the Melbourne Cup, after they had pleaded with her to rethink her appearance at the event.

And all over Instagram celebrities have been posting their dislike for the event, with former Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield calling it cruel.

“My issues lie with animal cruelty and the detrimental affects of gambling. I guarantee that I will never attend another racing event as I have in past years, and I promise to not support this industry in any way. It’s possible to have fun without injuring innocent animals,” she wrote.

Current Bachelorette, Angie Kent, didn’t go into detail about why she wasn’t attending the event, but she hastagged #saynuptothecup in an Instagram post.

Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.