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Lady Gaga’s dogs are making headlines again. Her French bulldogs Gustav and Koj were infamously kidnapped at gunpoint in February 2021 by five men. They were returned by a woman who ended up charged in connection with the theft. In a turn of events, the woman is now suing Lady Gaga for the $500,000 reward money.
The dramatic event left Gaga’s dog walker Ryan Fischer shot and left critically injured. The singer offered half a million dollars if the pooches were returned safely, and two days later Jennifer McBride returned the dogs claiming she found them tied to a pole. However, McBride turns out to be an accomplice in the dognapping and one of five codefendants charged in connection with the crime.
Per NBC, McBride was originally charged with one count each of being an accessory after the fact and receiving stolen property. She pleaded no contest in December 2022, to the charge of receiving stolen property, and was sentenced to two years probation.
In an eight-page complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, she has now sued the dog mom, accusing her of breach of contract, fraud by false promise, and fraud by misrepresentation for not paying the half-a-million-dollar reward.
McBride’s attorney, K.T. Tran, is also claiming her innocence telling TMZ, “My client had absolutely no involvement in the theft of the dogs. She loves dogs and was glad to participate in their safe return. She is legally entitled to and deserves the reward.”
It doesn’t stop there, McBride is also seeking no less than $1.5 million in damages, and unspecified general damages. She claims to have endured “pain and suffering,” “mental anguish” and “loss of enjoyment of life” after she was questioned by law enforcement.
The suit alleges Gaga “never intended to honor their unilateral offer to pay the reward money“ and made the offer ”with the intent to defraud and induce members of the public to rely upon it and to act upon said promise,” per USA Today.
We will have to wait and see if they are successful in their quest.