‘Chimp Crazy’ Villain Tonia Haddix Has Been Sentenced to Prison—Where She Can’t Hurt Another Chimpanzee

The world watched in shock as Tonia Haddix exploited animals, committed felonies, and lied through her teeth in court on HBO’s Chimp Crazy. Now, thanks to PETA, the notorious villain is headed to prison. After pleading guilty to two felony counts of perjury and one felony count of obstructing justice, Haddix was sentenced to 46 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay PETA’s fee award in lieu of a fine to the court. How’s that for a “taste of your own medicine?”

Chimp Crazy, the Missouri Primate Foundation, and Tonia Haddix’s Crimes

Haddix first landed on PETA’s radar in 2018, when she took ownership of seven chimpanzees who lived at the now-defunct Missouri Primate Foundation. At the former breeding compound in Festus, Missouri, chimpanzees were warehoused in filthy cages amid trash, their own waste, cockroaches, and flies. Following an Endangered Species Act lawsuit from PETA and former Missouri Primate Foundation volunteer Angela Scott, a court ordered Haddix to relinquish all seven chimpanzees at the facility, allowing us to arrange for their transfers to an accredited sanctuary. When we went to carry out our order, Haddix falsely claimed that one of the chimpanzees—Tonka—had died.

As revealed in Chimp Crazy, contrary to Haddix’s claims, Tonka was alive, and Haddix had trafficked him across state lines to a roadside zoo in Ohio before bringing him back to Missouri, where she kept him in a tiny cage in her basement. He could take only a few steps in any direction, he was not able to go outside, he couldn’t feel the warmth of the sun or the grass beneath his feet, he had no companionship with other chimpanzees (something extremely important to chimpanzees’ well-being), he was overweight (likely from lack of exercise and a highly unhealthy diet), and he wasn’t receiving proper veterinary care.

The series depicts Haddix lying to prevent Tonka from being sent to a real sanctuary; leaking confidential details regarding the transfers of chimpanzees from the Missouri Primate Foundation; and the apparent aftermath of Haddix entering a chimpanzee enclosure—all in violation of various court orders.

PETA’s Legal Battle and Haddix’s Arrest

Following the show’s release, 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. The filing was PETA’s sixth motion for contempt against Haddix.

The next month, the judge ordered the United States Attorney’s Office to make a charging decision regarding PETA’s allegations. She also indicated that if the agency declined to prosecute, then her Court would appoint a private attorney to prosecute the criminal charges, meaning that Haddix would be guaranteed to face federal criminal charges. This action ultimately led to her prison sentence.

In July 2025, a Missouri state court judge found four companies tied to Haddix and her husband, Gerald Aswegan, in contempt of court for ignoring orders to hand over financial records and other related documents to PETA. PETA sought documents, deposition testimony, and garnishment interrogatory responses from the four companies, all of which are critical to help discover assets to satisfy the $225k judgment Haddix owes to PETA. The judge awarded PETA its attorney’s fees and costs related to its efforts to enforce the subpoenas and garnishments.

Another Shocking Discovery

Authorities then discovered a live chimpanzee in the basement of Haddix’s home in Sunrise Beach, Missouri. She had confined the chimpanzee in the same cramped cell that she had previously held Tonka in, which violated the terms of her consent agreement with PETA, prohibiting her from ever again owning or possessing a chimpanzee. The newly discovered chimpanzee was safely confiscated, U.S. Marshals arrested Haddix, and her bond was revoked.

Where Are Tonka and the Others Now?

Thanks to PETA, Tonka and the other chimpanzees who once suffered at the Missouri Primate Foundation were safely transported to true sanctuaries, where they can freely roam, climb, explore, play, and socialize with other members of their species.

How YOU Can Help Chimpanzees

To date, PETA has facilitated the rescues of 25 chimpanzees from seedy exhibitors and the “pet” trade, and we’ll keep going until every chimpanzee is out of harm’s way. PETA is offering a $10,000 reward for evidence that results in the confiscation by law-enforcement authorities of any of the (fewer than 60) chimpanzees across the country trapped at roadside zoos, in private compounds, and in the “pet” trade. Whistleblowers with information about exploited chimpanzees are encouraged to contact PETA.

You can also help exploited chimpanzees by calling on your federal representatives to cosponsor the bipartisan Captive Primate Safety Act, which would ban private ownership, private breeding, and all commercial activity involving primates used in the “pet” trade.