PETA Goes to Court to Keep TV’s ‘Chimp Crazy’ Star in Jail

For Immediate Release:
April 21, 2026

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

PETA filed an amicus brief today with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, asking judges to deny the appeal of Tonia Haddix—villain of the Emmy-nominated HBO series Chimp Crazy—and not reduce her 46-month prison sentence. Haddix was sentenced in August after pleading guilty to two felony counts of perjury and one felony count of obstructing justice.

As revealed in Chimp Crazy, Haddix knowingly lied to a federal judge about the whereabouts of Tonka the chimpanzee—telling the judge that Tonka had died when she was hiding him in a cage in her basement in Missouri—and disobeyed a court order to surrender him to PETA.

PETA’s brief argues that Haddix is not entitled to leniency, due to the following:

·       Haddix’s relationship with Tonka was consistently negligent or abusive. She lied to prevent Tonka from moving to a sanctuary and kept him confined and isolated in her basement without proper food, socialization, or fresh air. She also planned to euthanize Tonka after falsely claiming he was near death from end-stage congestive heart failure—which a veterinarian confirmed he did not have.

·       Haddix acted out of malice toward PETA. The sentencing court said that during the civil case, she repeatedly “demonized PETA” and its attorneys, including threatening to “run [one of them] over.” PETA was also forced to spend nearly half a million dollars in additional costs—including for emergency transportation to the sanctuary—because of Haddix’s refusal to comply with the court order to surrender Tonka and her attempts to hide him.

·       Haddix’s crimes were motivated, in part, by a desire for fame and money. Haddix allowed a film crew to document her criminal conduct and attempted to monetize her Chimp Crazy notoriety through various means—including podcast appearances, a “Chimp Crazy Lady” Etsy store, and a Cameo account selling personalized videos.

“Tonia Haddix flagrantly flouted the law in front of a global audience, depriving a chimpanzee of a chance at a real life, all while trying to boost her own fame and fortune,” says PETA Foundation General Counsel, Litigation Asher Smith. “Haddix should face the full consequences of her selfish, cruel actions, and PETA urges the court to keep her 46-month prison sentence intact.”

Following the release of Chimp Crazy, PETA submitted a motion to the court detailing the numerous additional pieces of evidence of perjury and violations of court orders shown in the series, which ultimately led to Haddix’s sentencing. U.S. Marshals and PETA freed Tonka and he now spends his days at a beautiful sanctuary, where he has since reunited with his biological son, Cayleb, and enjoys being outdoors, foraging for food, and playing with his friends—all things he was previously denied.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.