More than two years after Lady Gaga‘s dogs were kidnapped, the incident is still plaguing her.
The 37-year-old Bad Romance songstress is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit surrounding the promised $US500,000 (approx. $741,000) reward for the safe return of her French bulldogs, claiming “conspiracy fraud” as grounds for refusal to pay.
In February 2021, two of her three dogs – Koji and Gustav – were stolen late at night, with Ryan Fischer, her dog walker, being shot in the attack.
READ MORE: Ex’s message to Naomi Watts after her surprise wedding
At the time, Lady Gaga tweeted that she would pay a $US500,000 for the “safe return” of Koji and Gustav. Two days after they were stolen, Jennifer McBride brought Koji and Gustav to the Los Angeles Police Department, and the dogs were then returned to Lady Gaga.
Two years later, in February 2023, McBride sued Lady Gaga for the $US500,000 reward, claiming she had not received the cash sum promised to the person who returned the dogs, alleging Lady Gaga had made it “very clear” the sum would be given when the dogs were returned with “no questions asked”.
Court documents obtained by CBS News, however, are now showing Lady Gaga is fighting back against McBride’s lawsuit.
READ MORE: Kelis’ blunt five-word reply to Bill Murray dating rumours
https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/1365416643153727488?lang=en
”Plaintiff Jennifer McBride seeks to profit from her participation in a crime,” the court documents, per the news outlet, allege. “The law does not allow a person to commit a crime and then profit from it.”
Lady Gaga’s attorneys allege McBride had claimed to be a good Samaritan who found Koji and Gustav by chance on the street with “no idea” who they belonged to, but she had allegedly been “a direct and knowing participant in the criminal enterprise”.
McBride, in December 2022, was sentenced to two years’ probation to knowingly receiving stolen property in connection to the dog theft after pleading no contest. Allegedly, she was dating the father of one of the men found responsible for the crime, and McBride was later charged as an accessory to the crime.
She has maintained that under the terms of the reward contract, she exercised her duty, but Lady Gaga had no intention of paying it.
READ MORE: Matt Damon slams Donald Trump after latest campaign video
As a result, McBride has sued Lady Gaga for fraud by false promise, fraud by misrepresentation, and breach of contract.
She’s also seeking legal fees from Lady Gaga, in addition to compensation for financial damages, pain, suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, yet Lady Gaga’s attorneys have argued McBride has not suffered any damages by returning the dogs.
James Howard Jackson, the man who shot Lady Gaga’s dogwalker Ryan Fischer, was charged with a count of attempted murder, and pled no contest. He was given a sentence of 21 years in prison.
A hearing on Lady Gaga’s motion to dismiss McBride’s lawsuit has been scheduled for July 10.
For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.