Latest news with #Tonka
NBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
'Chimp Crazy' star Tonia Haddix arrested as authorities find another secret chimp in her home
Exotic animal broker and "Chimp Crazy" star Tonia Haddix, who is currently embroiled in a civil lawsuit with PETA, was arrested Saturday, a little more than a week after authorities found a chimpanzee stashed in the basement of her Missouri home. Her arrest stems from an ongoing legal battle involving PETA and another chimp named Tonka. A judge had ordered the arrest of Haddix and her husband for contempt of court after they allegedly failed to pay court-ordered fees to PETA, Rolling Stone reported. Haddix was released on Sunday from the Camden County jail. Haddix was out on bond awaiting sentencing after she pleaded guilty in March to charges related to her lying to a federal judge during a hearing in her case, NBC affiliate KSDK of St. Louis reported. She tearfully claimed that Tonka, a chimp best known for his roles in the films "Buddy" and "George of the Jungle," had died and was cremated, but it was later discovered that the chimp was actually alive and being held in her basement. Tonka was ultimately removed from her care and placed in a sanctuary. Haddix was also ordered by a judge to reimburse PETA nearly $225,000 for fees and costs incurred through the legal battle. Her attorney and manager did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. The unnamed female chimp was found in a cage in Haddix's basement after authorities executed a search warrant on July 9 at her Sunrise Beach home, according to an FBI affidavit filed Wednesday. Authorities believe the female chimp was being held in the same cage previously used for Tonka. In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors argued that Haddix having another chimp in her basement was "a clear violation" of the order entered in her civil case with PETA. "While at the time of this writing the Court has not yet made a finding relative to Defendant's violations of her conditions of release, it is the position of the United States that by possessing and concealing another chimpanzee in the basement of her residence, despite this Court's orders and warnings, Defendant has shown no remorse for her criminal conduct, and has continued to challenge and defy this Court's authority, and she should face a significant punishment as a result," the memorandum, filed Wednesday, states. PETA said in a statement Sunday that Haddix "can't keep dodging the court's orders to pay back the money she owes." "PETA trusts this jail time will be just a taste of the longer sentence she'll face next month," the animal rights organization said. Authorities had previously performed an unannounced visit to Haddix's home in April and located a large cage in her basement. The cage was empty at the time, but authorities saw "fresh dung," flies, blankets, an empty Gatorade bottle and 'a half-eaten sucker' in the case, leading them to believe that a chimp had recently been kept there. The unannounced visit was a condition of her release. Haddix's legal battle played out on HBO's "Chimp Crazy." The four-part series was released last year and followed her custody case with PETA over several chimps, including Tonka. The movie star chimp had vanished in 2021 under her care after a court granted PETA permission to transfer Tonka and other chimps to a sanctuary. In a January 2022 virtual court testimony featured in the four-part series, Haddix sobbed as she told the court that Tonka had died and was cremated. In the series, Haddix revealed to the audience that Tonka was alive and celebrated her tricking the court.
New York Post
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Chimp Crazy' star arrested in ongoing saga over treatment of movie-star chimp Tonka
The star of HBO's 'Chimp Crazy' was arrested for allegedly ignoring court orders in an ongoing saga over lying to hide how she'd locked up one of her movie-star chimps in her basement, according to authorities. 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.
NZ Herald
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Listener weekly quiz: May 28
Tonka toys have been around since 1946, but where did they originate from? Photo / Getty Images
The Irish Sun
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
B&M's new £4 male fragrance is a near-perfect dupe & £100 cheaper than designer brand – a great gift for Father's Day
WE all love a cheeky bargain - especially when we find something that feels just like a high-end brand. And now there's a 2 B&M's new £4 male fragrance is a near-perfect dupe & £100 cheaper than designer brand - a great gift for Father's Day Credit: B&M 2 Giorgio Armani Code Profumo sells for nearly 25 times more than the B&M dupe Credit: Giorgio Armani It makes a great gift for that special someone on Father's Day and at only £3.99 it's a huge bargain. And what's more - fans have compared it to Armani Code Profumo which sells for nearly 25 times more. Both are infused with citrus fruits and Tonka bean and include the addition of warm Vanilla. Scent Favourites Magic Code Prive EDC at B&M is described as a luxurious fragrance that combines zesty citrus with a seductive heart of exotic spices and rich woods. B&M say: "It's alluring base of smooth leather, warm tonka bean, and smoky tobacco creates a lasting impression of refined masculinity and timeless charm." On the other hand, The Armani Code fragrances are said to set to convey a mood of elegant seduction, inspired by the man who attracts with instinctive magnetism. So if your father loves the aroma but you don't want to spend close to £100 on a perfume, this £4 version is perfect. With such an epic price difference, it would even make sense to try it first as a trial run before splashing out on the designer one. Most read in Fabulous Bargain hunters are also raving over B&M's £3.99 dupe of £89 designer aftershave also perfect for Father's Day. B&M is selling its Sky Bolt Pour Homme men's aftershave for just £3.99. 'It's one of the best I've ever tried' cries Dealz shopper over Marc Jacobs dupe - and it's a steal at €4.50 Meanwhile, Dior Sauvage's designer Eau de Toilette aftershave sets customers back by £89. It means B&M shoppers can save an impressive £85 for the special someone in their life. Beauty buffs are also racing to Bursting with an 'alluring pistachio and salted caramel scent', the The best perfume dupes on the high street WE all love a good perfume, but they can also be pricey. So why not try a dupe from the high street instead? Here's some of the best: *If you click on a link in this boxout we will earn affiliate revenue Marks & Spencer: Apothecary Warmth, £9.50 - dupe for Le Labo's Santal 33 - BUY NOW Sea Salt and Neroli, £13 - dupe for Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino - BUY NOW Midnight Blossom, £10 - dupe for Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium - BUY NOW Soft Iris, £10 - dupe for Chanel Coco Mademoiselle - BUY NOW Zara: Energetically New York, £25.99 - dupe for Le Labo's Santal 33 Nude Bouquet, £12.99 - dupe for Dior's Miss Dior Applejuice, £12.99 - dupe for DKNY's Be Delicious Sublime Epoque, £22.99 - dupe for Armani My Way Aldi: Empress, £5.99 - dupe for Paco Rabanne Olympéa Feminine, £6.99 - dupe for Coco Mademoiselle Masculine, £6.99 - dupe for Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male Hotel Collection No39 Poppy and Barley, £6.99 - dupe for Jo Malone's Poppy and Barley While the original is priced at £24 for 90ml, B&M's version of the Brazilian-inspired beauty product is available for just £2.99 Over at Home Bargains, thrifty shoppers are also raving about a they've spotted - and it's ideal if you're on a budget. The popular According to fans of the mega store, you can now snap up a dupe of the posh Read more on the Irish Sun Meanwhile, one savvy shopper's perfume is a dupe of the pricey £165 designer Parfums de Marly Delina. Meaning she saves a whopping £135 every time she
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Will prices go down? And other China tariff questions, answered.
The Trump administration tapped the brakes on its trade war Monday, temporarily rolling back tariffs on Chinese goods from 145 percent to about 30 percent, which the president hailed as a 'total reset' on relations with China. In reality, tariffs on most Chinese goods will range from about 40 percent to 60 percent, including other tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump both this year and during his first term. Still, it's better than 145 percent, and many business owners breathed a sigh of relief. The stock market surged. Here's what the 90-day reprieve means for American consumers. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. - - - 1. Will this mean more products on shelves? Yes, that's the good news. Retailers and manufacturers are moving to restart shipments that have largely been on hold for the past five weeks or so, when imports from China were being taxed at 145 percent. Now that tariffs are lower, many are resuming plans - rushing to stock up on what they can within the next 90 days. As a result, shelves may not be as empty as many had feared. There could still be some shortages, since fewer ships have been ferrying imports from China to the West Coast, though retailers say the worst shortfalls, predicted for this summer and beyond, have probably been averted. For Chasity Monroe, the timing of Monday's reprieve could not have been better: Her Black beauty supply shop, Pink Noire, in Memphis, was starting to run low on a variety of products. She had paused shipments from China on her own line of shampoos, conditioners and curl creams since January. Customers, too, were starting to hoard products - buying a dozen bottles at a time - out of fear of upcoming shortages. Now she is finally placing new orders, buying three times what she normally would, even if that means cutting into the cash she will need to pay her employees this week. 'Starting at 4 a.m., I was cranking out emails, trying to get production restarted,' she said. 'Everything had gotten so crazy with people coming in and wiping us out. Now this grace period means I can finally buy enough to keep us going a little longer.' - - - 2. Are prices still going to go up? Prices have begun to inch up, as businesses pass on higher costs to consumers. Economists expect those increases to continue in the coming weeks, despite the temporary tariff relief for Chinese goods. Overall, Americans now face an effective tariff rate of 17.8 percent across all imports, according to one estimate. That is down from 28 percent last week, but it is still the highest rate since 1934, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University. They expect shoe prices to rise 15 percent as a result of tariffs, clothing costs to go up by 14 percent, and cars to cost about 9 percent more. Basic Fun, the toy company behind Tonka trucks, Care Bears and Lite-Brite, expects prices to rise by 10 percent to 15 percent this year as result of the tariffs. 'Sure, 30 percent compared to 145 percent sounds great, but everyone is still going to take a hit here,' chief executive Jay Foreman said. 'That Tonka truck that was $30 will now cost $35.' Clothing from low-priced sites like Shein has gone up in recent weeks, after the Trump administration canceled a 'de minimis' policy that had allowed companies to bypass some customs charges on orders under $800. These imports will continue to face tariffs of 120 percent or a flat fee of $100 per package for now. - - - 3. What about grocery and gas prices? Americans have been hard hit by inflation, with prices for food and fuel rising by more than 25 percent in five years. Those costs have continued to inch up since Trump took office, in part because of 10 percent tariffs on all imports, including from Mexico and Canada. But the China deal is not likely to have much bearing on grocery or gas costs. Economists say there could be some ripple effects - like higher prices for packaging or ink from China - though on the whole, those necessities are likely to be unaffected. Instead, it is other categories that are disproportionately made in China, such as electronics, machinery, toys, sports equipment, furniture and clothing, where shoppers could see the biggest markups. - - - 4. Will there be more tariff changes? Tariffs have been a top priority for Trump, who wasted no time implementing a 10 percent tax on all imports and even higher duties on dozens of other countries. The 145 percent tax on China - which resulted in a 125 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. exports to the country - was by far the most draconian. Still, the White House has long maintained that it is open to negotiation. Its agreement to lower tariffs with China, announced early Monday, was widely hailed as a promising sign that the two countries may be willing to compromise. China's Commerce Ministry called the weekend's talks an 'important first step.' But what comes next is less clear. And business owners say that uncertainty is making it difficult to figure out how to proceed. Although some are resuming shipments from China, others are waiting to see if tariffs might be whittled down further. 'Now it's like a moving target: Do you put [your products] on a boat and commit? Or do you wait to see what happens next?' said Drew Cleaver, founder of Higher Hangers, an Austin-based company that manufactures clothing hangers in China. 'Thirty percent might be doable for some businesses to do an ordering blitz, but I still can't afford it.' - - - 5. Is the economy in the clear now? The stock market spiked Monday, as investors applauded the temporary cuts in tariffs. But the picture for the broader economy remains murky. Tariff-related panic has weighed on the U.S. economy, causing it to shrink by an annual rate of 0.3 percent in the first quarter of the year, although most of that was from a trade mismatch, as American businesses loaded up on foreign-made goods. The rush to get products into the U.S. in the next 90 days could complicate the outlook. Trade deficits - which occur when a country imports more than it exports - are a drag on the economy. Still, economists on Monday revised their forecasts for economic growth, saying improving trade relations with China could result in less turmoil in the U.S. economy. Oxford Economics now expects the economy to expand by 1.3 percent this year, up from its previous forecast of 1.2 percent, though it notes that growth will be 'noticeably' slower than it would have been without tariffs, supply chain issues and lingering uncertainty. 'Recession risks will be elevated between now and early next year,' said Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. Related Content For a Howard mom of three, earning her doctorate is a family victory Zelensky says he's ready to meet Putin; Europe prepares sanctions Who is Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage released by Hamas? Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
