The saga of "Chimp Crazy" star Tonia Haddix continues as she was detained over the weekend by U.S. Marshals following a judge's order for her arrest. Alongside her husband, Jerry Aswegan, Haddix is facing accusations for not complying with financial sanctions and ignoring court orders linked to a lawsuit filed by PETA. As reported by FOX2Now, Haddix was released on Sunday after being held at the Camden County Sheriff's Office, though her husband is anticipated to be detained soon.
According to a First Alert 4 report, Haddix and Aswegan were ordered arrested after evading a St. Louis County court's directives. This follows her guilty plea in March to counts of perjury and obstruction of justice for misleading a federal judge about the death of one of her chimpanzees. She has been scheduled to make a court appearance on August 5, after being temporarily released from the Camden County Detention Center Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m.
In 2024, a federal court ordered Haddix and Aswegan to reimburse PETA over $220,000 in lawyer fees and other costs to conclude the lawsuit. Moreover, their controversial involvement with exotic animals was spotlighted in the HBO docuseries "Chimp Crazy," which delved into the conditions of Haddix's chimpanzees and reflected on the broader themes of private exotic animal ownership, based on investigations by FOX Files' Chris Hayes.
One of the chimpanzees central to the controversy is Tonka, the primate who holds roles in movies such as the 1997 comedy “Buddy.” In a shocking turn hosted in her basement in Lake of the Ozarks in June 2022, Haddix initially claimed that Tonka had perished and was cremated, a fact she later confessed was false. "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, " detailed a New York Post article. The primates involved were previously part of the defunct Missouri Primate Foundation near Festus, for which Haddix faced severe criticism over inadequate care conditions from animal rights advocates.
Haddix's history includes using the chimpanzees for various commercial activities, and the narrative of her legal entanglements has captured national interest. The revocation of her license to operate a roadside zoo in Sunrise Beach was another setback amidst ongoing litigation and public scrutiny directed at her and Aswegan's treatment of their exotic animals.
