On Wednesday Travis Barker gave his first interview since surviving a plane crash that killed four out of six of the people on the plane. In it, Travis mentioned that after 25 years as a vegetarian he has started to eat meat again, saying that his doctors told him he needs the food protein to heal.

Ironically today PETA released a statement that Travis’ ex-wife Shanna Moakler has become a vegetarian and recorded a commercial for the animal rights organization. Though Travis and Shanna have had a very acrimonious relationship, she has been by his side throughout his entire hospitalization.

“There are so many good reasons not to eat meat, but for me, the well-being of my children is the most important,” says Moakler, who has also appeared in several films and on many TV shows, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Dancing With the Stars. “I want them to be healthy and also to understand that when they say ‘No!’ to meat, they’re saying ‘No!’ to animal cruelty. We talk about our pets, and I say, ‘You wouldn’t eat Biscuit, would you? Well, then let’s not eat any animal, O.K.?'”

Although Moakler originally went vegetarian out of concern for animals, the health benefits came as a pleasant surprise. “I don’t think I really realized what I was putting into my body and the actual effects that it was having on me, so now I feel so much healthier, and I have so much more energy, and foods taste better!”

The compassion for animals that Moakler is imparting to her children goes beyond the dinner table. She’s an ardent fur foe–she won several fur coats in various pageants but now plans to donate them to PETA to use in its campaign to educate the public about the cruelty of the fur industry.

[From PETA.org]

The timing sure is suspicious. However PETA doesn’t give any indication of when Moakler shot the ad, and I seriously doubt she’s had time to do it since Travis’ plane crash. What I find especially interesting is Shanna’s statement that she feels healthier and has more energy. Of his decision to start eating meat again, Barker said, “‘I don’t regret it at all, I feel so much better.’” I guess it goes to show everyone’s body needs something different.

My first instinct when I saw this was, “Uh oh, they’re feuding again.” But I think the timing is just coincidental. It seems like Shanna and Travis have been getting along really well lately – not only has she been with him the entire time he’s been in the hospital, but she took a bus back to L.A. with him because he was too afraid to fly. I’m hoping they avoided any arguments and just ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Protein-filled and totally awesome.

Here’s Travis and Shanna at the T-Mobile Sidekick LX Launch Party in Los Feliz, California in October 2007. Images thanks to Bauer-Griffin.