‘Chimp Crazy' star arrested in ongoing saga over treatment of movie-star chimp Tonka
Tonia Haddix, 55, looked puffy-eyed and had disheveled hair and makeup in a mug shot after she was arrested by US Marshals in Missouri on Saturday.
Haddix and her husband, Jerry Aswegan, are accused of failing to show at court — and also ducking more than $220,000 in legal fees accrued to dismiss a federal lawsuit filed by the animal rights group PETA, Fox2Now reported.
3 Tonia Haddix was arrested by US Marshals on Saturday afternoon after a Missouri judge accused her and her husband, Jerry Aswegan, of not paying over $220,000 in attorneys' fees and costs to PETA.
The lawsuit, originally filed in 2016, accused Haddix of mistreating primates in her care, including Tonka, a chimpanzee who appeared in movies, including the 1997 comedy 'Buddy.'
Haddix testified that Tonka had died and been cremated — later admitting that she lied, with the chimp among many found locked up in her basement in Lake of the Ozarks in June 2022, the feds previously said.
Haddix, 55, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice for lying to a federal judge about Tonka's death.
3 The payout was to end a lawsuit over the discovery of Tonka, a chimpanzee who Haddix claimed had died but was actually locked up in her basement.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
PETA claims the pair has not participated in the agreed-upon six-figure payout, and court records filed by the St. Louis County Circuit Judge Brian May indicate the pair has failed to appear at multiple court hearings, the outlet reported.
'PETA spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to find Tonka, get him out of the cage in Tonia Haddix's basement, and move him to the spacious sanctuary where he's now thriving, and Haddix can't keep dodging the court's orders to pay back the money she owes,' PETA Foundation General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet wrote in a statement.
'PETA trusts this jail time will be just a taste of the longer sentence she'll face next month,' the group said.
Haddix — the subject of 'Chimp Crazy,' the HBO docuseries about her ownership of Tonka and other chimps used in films and photoshoots — was released after posting $2,500 bail, records show. She is due back in court Aug. 5.
3 Haddix, 55, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice for lying to a federal judge about Tonka's death.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
Her husband, Aswegan, was not initially arrested but 'is expected to be taken into custody at any time,' PETA said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tonia Haddix found to be hiding another chimp
ST. LOUIS – The Missouri woman at the center of high-profile legal battles and controversies over exotic animal ownership, specifically chimpanzees, appeared in federal court on Tuesday, where it was learned she was hiding another chimp at her home. FOX 2 News has learned that authorities found the chimpanzee in the basement of her Sunrise Beach, Missouri, home, which she shares with husband Jerry Aswegan. The chimp was not registered. Haddix is not allowed to keep chimpanzees anymore as part of her bond conditions from prior cases. Haddix told the court she was not feeling well after an 'episode' that sent her to the hospital in Camden County. She said she was arrested in the hospital and felt well enough to sit through the hearing. She remained silent other than the explanation about her health. She was shackled at her hands and feet. Haddix will be back in court on Thursday afternoon for a bond revocation hearing. U.S. Marshals arrested Haddix, 55, on Saturday afternoon after a St. Louis County Circuit Court judge issued an arrest warrant, instructing law enforcement to detain Haddix and Aswegan for allegedly ducking financial sanctions levied against them. After being held by the Camden County Sheriff's Office, Haddix was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals on Sunday. Aswegan is still expected to be taken into custody at some point. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now In 2024, a federal court ordered Tonia Haddix and Jerry Aswegan to pay more than $220,000 in attorneys' fees and costs to PETA last year to end a lawsuit. Haddix and Aswegan gained national notoriety as the focus of the HBO docuseries 'Chimp Crazy,' which explored Haddix's actions and broader issues related to the private ownership of exotic animals. The docuseries is based on original reporting from FOX Files investigator Chris Hayes. Over the years, Haddix cared for the seven chimpanzees and bred them as talent for films and photoshoots, among other activities. These chimpanzees previously inhabited the Missouri Primate Foundation, a now-defunct animal breeding facility near Festus. Haddix's attachment to one chimpanzee, Tonka, sparked national attention in 2021. Tonka is a former animal movie star, appearing in films like the 1997 comedy 'Buddy.' At some point, Haddix claimed that Tonka had died when she instead had him locked in her basement. Animal advocacy groups like PETA said the many chimpanzees once under her care were unsafe and neglected. In 2020, Haddix and PETA came to terms as part of a consent decree, allowing Haddix to keep three of seven chimps in her care. Haddix later balked at the agreement, prompting a federal raid of her Festus animal facility in July 2021. Six chimps—not including Tonka—were removed and transferred to a Florida animal sanctuary. At the time, Haddix claimed Tonka was dead. But nearly one whole year later, Tonka was found caged in Haddix's basement in her Lake of the Ozarks-area home. That discovery prompted a new lawsuit from PETA, which contended that Haddix and her husband concocted an elaborate hoax when claiming Tonka had died, lied under oath about text messages she sent about Tonka at a time she previously deemed the chimp dead and tried to bribe federal marshals ordered to prevent Haddix from euthanizing Tonka. That lawsuit was supposedly settled in 2024, with Haddix and Aswego agreeing to a six-figure payout. However, PETA alleges the pair have failed to make any payments as part of the settlement and have not shared financial records. The St. Louis County judge's court order, filed July 17, said Haddix and Aswego have failed to appear at multiple scheduled court hearings. The judge scheduled a show cause hearing for Aug. 5 to provide an update on the matter. Meanwhile, Tonka now resides at the 'Save The Chimps' sanctuary in Fort Pierce, Florida. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
15 hours ago
- New York Post
‘SATC' alum James Remar reveals if he'd return as Samantha's boyfriend Richard in reboot
He'd return to the city! 'Dexter' star James Remar said that if the 'Sex and the City' spinoff show 'And Just Like That' asked him to reprise his role, he'd do it. 'I'm an actor, the phone is open,' Remar, 71, exclusively told the Post, while promoting his show 'Dexter: Resurrection.' He quipped: '[But] do I have to be naked again?' 7 James Remar on 'Dexter: Resurrection.' Zach Dilgard/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME 7 James Remar and Kim Cattrall in 'Sex and the City.' HBO Remar played Richard Wright in the original 'Sex and the City,' who dated Samantha (Kim Cattrall) before he broke her heart in Season 4. 'I'm the best boyfriend on the show,' Remar recently People. He told the outlet that he had a conversation about Richard leaving the show with series writer/director Michael Patrick King. 'I said, 'How come you dissolved our relationship? It's like we were the two that were the best for each other.' And he said, 'We only introduce love on this show to have it fail,'' Remar recalled. 'So at least he said that there was love there.' 7 James Remar with Kim Cattrall on 'Sex and the City.' HBO Remar added, 'He said, 'But it failed and you're not coming back.'' The original show, which aired on HBO from 1998 to 2004, followed Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her friends Samantha (Cattrall), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) through dating adventures in New York City. Cattrall notably isn't in the spinoff show 'And Just Like That,' which airs on Max and follows Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte in their 50s. 7 James Remar attends the 'Dexter: Resurrection' premiere in NYC on July 9, 2025. Getty Images for Paramount+ Her absence from the show comes amid behind-the-scenes cast feud rumors, which SJP has denied. Cattrall did, however, make a brief cameo in Season 2 – without seeing or speaking to any of the stars. Samantha also appeared in a recent Season 3 episode in an offscreen cameo, when Carrie exchanged text messages with Samantha. In a May 2022 Variety interview, Cattrall said that she 'would never want to look back on that [character] with anything other than pride.' 7 Kim Cattrall and James Remar in 'Sex and the City.' HBO But after six seasons and two films, Cattrall said, 'Everything in me went, 'I'm done.'' So, chances are slim that 'And Just Like That' would need Richard, unless he dated someone else. Since the HBO show, Remar has worked on 'North Shore,' 'Ratatouille,' 'X-Men: First Class,' 'Hatfields & McCoys' and 'Black Lightning,' 'Magnum P.I.' and 'Dexter: Resurrection.' 7 James Remar in his video interview with The New York Post. New York Post 7 James Remar as Harry Morgan and Michael C. Hall as Dexter in 'Dexter.' Randy Tepper/Copyright: Showtime 'Dexter: Resurrection' is a continuation of the 'Dexter' franchise, similar to how 'And Just Like That' is a continuation of 'Sex and the City.' 'If they did anything like these guys are doing and made it like really cool, sure, I'd have to consider it,' he told The Post of reprising his Richard role. 'But it's tough to beat 'Dexter.''
Buzz Feed
16 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
32 Funny Tweets From The Week That Brought Back The Fun And Whimsy I Desperately Needed In My Life
Editor's Note: BuzzFeed does not support discriminatory or hateful speech in any form. We recognize that X is no longer a safe platform. Despite this, it remains a discussion hub where reasonable, intelligent, and funny voices can still be found. And those are the ones we plan to highlight. Hello. I've been having one of these weeks. Anyone else want to zip back to no responsibilities, frolicking in the grass, and Saturday morning cartoons? I sure do, but I've been trying to find the small joys in this little adult life of mine that still bring me that childlike laughter and fun. And sometimes, all it takes is a good tweet: 1. 7. 8. How it feels to open a Google Doc and see someone else in there too — Mike 📺 (@michaelcollado) July 14, 2025 HBO / Via Twitter: @michaelcollado 11. 12. 14. 15. 17. 18. 20. my dentist appointment is at 2:30… two thirty… tooth hurty… the jokes write themselves — stinker. (@stinkerfelloff) July 14, 2025 Twitter: @stinkerfelloff 21. 23. 24. chris martin at the coldplay concert — Saint Hoax (@SaintHoax) July 17, 2025 NWY Movies / @SaintHoax / Via Twitter: @SaintHoax 26. @tayenaija / Via Twitter: @tayenaija 27. @doxie_gay / Via Twitter: @doxie_gay 28. @LeVeonBell / Via Twitter: @LeVeonBell 29. @f0lake / Via Twitter: @f0lake 30. @kathcor3 / Via Twitter: @kathcor3 31. @kylofone / Via Twitter: @kylofone 32. @jazzghost_pm / Via Twitter: @jazzghost_pm That's all I've got for this week — for more funny tweets, feel free to peruse our other recent roundups: 31 Funny Tweets To Escape To While Pretending Everything Else Is Not On Fire These 25 Tweets Made Me Laugh So Hard I Almost Forgot About All The Terrible Things Happening Right Now Ta-ta for now!
