The 'Poker Face' singer is supported by a judge in final ruling over her refusal to pay $500K reward to the woman who returned her kidnapped canine companions.
- Oct 4, 2023
AceShowbiz - Lady Gaga officially doesn't need to pay a reward for the return of her lost dogs. The "Bad Romance" singer was taken to court in February by Jennifer McBride - who handed over the pop star's dogs in February 2021, two days after they were taken from her dog walker - after she refused to hand over the "no questions" sum in exchange for the safe return of her pooches, with her attorney arguing the "A Star Is Born" star had committed breach of contract, false promise, and fraud by misrepresentation.
Judge Holly J. Fujie ruled in July that Jennifer's complained was "legally insufficient in its entirety" following her "involvement in the theft" after the woman had previously pleaded no contest to charges of receiving stolen property and was therefore "not entitled to thereafter benefit from their wrongdoing by seeking to enforce the contract."
And while the plaintiff had been given 20 days to amend her filing, and subsequently claimed she was "in no way involved in the theft" and only "took possession" of the dogs to return them, the judge made a final ruling on Monday, October 2 which shut down Jennifer's claim.
According to court documents obtained by People magazine, the judge found "that nothing alleged in the [first amended complaint] changes this conclusion" and closed the case, refusing to allow the claimant another revised complaint.
Attorneys for Gaga said McBride claimed to have been a good Samaritan who found the dogs on the street by chance and had "no idea" they belonged to the "A Star is Born" actress, but they argued she was in fact a "direct and knowing participant in the criminal enterprise."
In December, McBride was sentenced to two-year probation after pleading no contest to knowingly receiving stolen property. She was also seeking legal fees and compensation for financial damages, pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life but Gaga's team argued she had not suffered any damages in returning the dogs.
