PETA Pursues Legal Action Against Woman Who Faked Chimpanzee’s Death

PETA is once again targeting Tonia Haddix, the exotic animal broker who made headlines for faking the death of a chimpanzee named Tonka in 2021. On Wednesday, the Animal rights group filed a new motion, accusing Haddix of perjury and violating previous court orders. The motion was sparked by revelations from HBO’s recent docuseries Chimp Crazy, which aired in August.

The series documented Haddix’s contentious legal fight with PETA over several chimpanzees, including Tonka, a former movie star who appeared in the 1997 film Buddy alongside Alan Cumming. In 2021, Tonka mysteriously vanished from the Missouri Primate Foundation, a breeding facility where Haddix was responsible for his care. Despite Haddix’s tearful testimony in January 2022, claiming that Tonka had died and been cremated, the chimp was discovered alive and hidden in a basement by June of that year.

In the series, Haddix is shown celebrating her deception after convincing the court that Tonka has died. She is even caught on camera telling Connie Casey, the foundation’s owner, that they had successfully fooled the court. The documentary also featured bizarre scenes, including Haddix presenting a bag of supposed “ashes” that viewers mocked online.

PETA is now urging the court to hold Haddix and her associates accountable. Brittany Peet, PETA’s general counsel, stated, “Tonia Haddix brazenly defied court orders on camera and made a mockery of the justice system in front of an international audience in order to deprive a chimpanzee of a real life.” The organization seeks penalties, permission to further investigate Haddix’s alleged misconduct, and a demand that she and her accomplices explain why they shouldn’t face civil contempt charges.

The latest motion also names several others who allegedly helped Haddix. It points to incidents where Haddix sedated and hid Tonka before his scheduled transfer and leaked confidential information. The document highlights Casey, Haddix’s husband Jerry Aswegan, and Ohio zoo owner Cy Vierstra as accomplices. In one Chimp Crazy episode, Haddix revealed sedating Tonka and hiding him in a hotel, while Vierstra admitted on camera to assisting in the ruse.

Tonka has since been removed from Haddix’s custody and now lives in a sanctuary. In 2023, Haddix was ordered to pay nearly $225,000 to cover PETA’s legal fees and costs.

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Related Content:

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