Pop icon Lady Gaga has emerged victorious in a highly publicized legal tussle that involved the theft of her beloved French Bulldogs, Koji and Gustav. After a long wait for justice, the Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Holly Fujie, announced that the decision was in favor of the multi-talented artist.
In the alleged lawsuit, the singer was accused of failing to fulfill payment for $500,000 in reward money that was meant for whoever returned the canines — “no questions asked.”
Jennifer McBride’s claims and the court’s ruling
Jennifer McBride, who had initially returned the dogs before being charged with receiving stolen property, filed the suit earlier this year.
McBride’s legal action aimed to secure the reward money, alleging fraud by false promise and fraud by misrepresentation. In her complaint, she accused the singer of never intending to pay the reward. She further stated that Gaga intentionally created a situation for law enforcement to question the return of the pets. Along with the reward money, McBride also demanded $1.5 million in damages for breach of contract.
While the songstress’s attorney chose not to comment on the court ruling, McBride held her stance. She insisted that her intention behind receiving Lady Gaga’s stolen dogs was to safeguard and secure their return.
The recent court ruling decided that even though McBride claimed her main intention behind her actions was to save the Bulldogs and also earn $500,000, this plea does not diminish her guilt of the charge. This was primarily because she had confessed to receiving the Bulldogs with the understanding that they were indeed stolen.
As of now, there has been no response from McBride’s attorney on the verdict.
The story behind Lady Gaga’s stolen dogs
In February 2021, Lady Gaga’s French Bulldogs were stolen at gunpoint when Ryan Fischer, her dog walker, took them for a stroll in Hollywood. During the incident, Fischer was shot and subsequently sought financial assistance online during his recovery.
At the time of the theft, Gaga — also known as Stefani Germanotta — was in Rome filming. She took to social media, offering a $500,000 reward with “no questions asked” for the safe return of her dogs.
McBride returned the Frenchies to a Los Angeles police station just 48 hours after they were stolen. Following this, she made a claim for the reward.
In connection to the theft, charges were filed against three men and two suspected accomplices, one of whom was McBride. McBride had known at least two of her co-conspirators for several years prior to the criminal act. In December, she entered a no-contest plea for receiving stolen property.
Meanwhile, Gaga is happy to put this incident behind her and focus on her music. With her victory in court, the pop superstar can finally breathe easy.
