Travis Barker made major change to diet after surviving horrific plane crash

Search up ‘vegan celebrities’ and one of the first names you’re likely to see on the list is Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.

But the Californian rocker, 50, who has backed the iconic Los Angeles restaurant Crossroads Kitchen and recently became an official ambassador to a vegan McDonald’s alternative known as Mr. Charlie’s, hasn’t always eaten plant-based.

He actually only started eating the strict diet - which sees followers abstaining from all animal-based products - deep into his adult life.

His reason? He was caught in a near-fatal plane crash in September 2008 that totally changed his perspective.

Travis Barker 2008 plane crash

After performing in Columbia, the father of three, then 25, was preparing to head back to Los Angeles with his friend, Adam Goldstein, his assistant Chris Baker, and his bodyguard Charles Still.

Travis Barker has opened up about his 2008 plane crash in his new documentary (Hulu)

The quartet boarded a private jet co-piloted by Sarah Lemmon and James Bland. However, during takeoff, the plane overran the runway and burst into flames.

Barker and Goldstein were the only survivors, with the former recently revisiting the ordeal in his new documentary, Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear.

“I broke all of my ribs. Fractured my back in four different places... 65% of my body was burned,” he stated, explaining he was put on morphine and ‘all sorts of medicine’ after being rushed to hospital.

“They couldn’t do any more surgeries and I was low on blood. There was talk of amputating my foot.”

Barker recounted how 27 surgeries and multiple skin grafts left him in a tremendous amount of ‘pain’.

Why Travis Barker became vegan

Following the plane crash, the ‘What’s My Age Again?’ hitmaker said he was inspired to make the switch from vegetarianism to veganism to further protect his health.

“Honestly, ever since I found this way of eating I have endless amounts of energy,” he told Men’s Journal.

“I can go all day, and after it all I never find myself getting tired. No matter what kind of shows I have done, or workouts I do on top of it, I still have to force myself to sleep at night.”

The near-fatal plane crash inspired the star to turn vegan (Hulu)

In a 2024 interview with Food & Wine, he claimed he also noticed ‘better endurance’, citing Violife cheese as his go-to snack before exercise.

The sober musician also claimed that the vegan diet has been shown to have ‘amazing benefits like increased sexual arousal for men and women’.

His claims are somewhat backed up by a 2022 study suggesting that consumption of a healthy plant-based diet is associated with a decreased risk of erectile dysfunction, as published via PubMed.

Travis Barker now flies despite plane crash

After swearing off flying, Barker took his first plane ride in 13 years with his wife, Kourtney Kardashian Barker.

“I made a deal with her; she had just said to me, ‘I would love to do so much traveling with you. I want to go to Italy with you. I want to go to Cabo with you. I want to go to Paris with you. I want to go to Bora Bora with you,’ ” he told NYLON in September 2021.

Barker said his wife, Kourtney Kardashian, helped him get back on planes (Instagram/@kourtneykardashian)

“And I said, ‘Well, when the day comes you want to fly, I’m telling you I’ll do it with you. I would do anything with you. And just give me 24 hours notice.’ And that’s what she did.”

Two years later, he stated that he had taken a total of 30 flights with his wife, whom he said ‘I do’ to in 2022.

“Wouldn’t be able to tour or enjoy life again the way I do without the healing love of my amazing wife. I love you @kourtneykardash,” he shared via Threads.

Travis Barker’s Hulu documentary, Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear is available to watch now.