Lady Gaga battles lawsuit over $500K pet reward claim

Lady Gaga isn't playing around with the lady who returned her stolen dogs. Any claims of a reward were dropped after a conspiracy theory.

Lady Gaga is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Jennifer McBride, a woman previously arrested and charged in connection with the theft of two of the singer's French bulldogs. McBride returned the dogs in February 2021, but she now alleges that Gaga defrauded her into surrendering the pets with the promise of no questions asked. Gaga's attorneys argue that McBride was actually involved in the conspiracy to steal the animals, ABC 7 reports.

Lady Gaga wants a $500,000 dog reward lawsuit dismissed. The woman who filed the suit was also arrested for participating in stealing the dogs."The law does not allow a person to commit a crime and then profit from it," stated Gaga's attorneys. https://t.co/3T0I0bndCu

— KCAL News (@kcalnews) June 10, 2023

In court papers filed with Judge Holly J. Fujie, Gaga's attorneys state that McBride “seeks to profit from her participation in a crime” and that the law does not allow someone to commit a crime and then benefit from it. The dispute centers around the $500,000 reward offer made by Lady Gaga for the safe return of her stolen dogs.

According to Gaga's attorneys, the singer issued the reward on Twitter two days after the theft occurred. McBride then brought the pets to the Los Angeles Police Department, claiming to be a good Samaritan who had found them on the street by chance. However, Gaga's lawyers argue that McBride was a “direct and knowing participant in the criminal enterprise.” McBride was later arrested, pleaded no contest to receiving stolen property, and received two years of probation.

Gaga's attorney contends that McBride knowingly received the stolen dogs before attempting to “return” them, all the while disclaiming any intention of collecting the reward she now claims she is owed. Gaga argues that her financial promise was invalidated when she discovered McBride's involvement in the scheme.

The lawsuit, filed by McBride in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks to collect on the $500,000 reward offer. However, Gaga's legal team is fighting to have the case dismissed, asserting that McBride should not be allowed to profit from her participation in the crime. The judge will now consider the arguments from both sides before making a decision on the lawsuit.