‘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.

PETA used the HBO series as evidence in its case against Haddix.