Lady Gaga faces $1.5M suit for 'misleading' dog reward ad

A woman who brought Lady Gaga's stolen dogs back to her in February 2021 is suing the singer for allegedly not delivering on her $500,000 reward promise to anyone who can return her dogs.

According to TMZ, the woman identified as Jennifer McBride, wants not just the $500,000 promised reward but also $1.5 million for damages for the "misleading" ad. She asserted that the "Poker Face" singer made it clear that she would drop the huge reward "no questions asked."

But McBride said she did not receive the money when she returned her dogs, Koji and Gustav, two days after they were stolen from the singer's dogwalker at gunpoint. She reportedly surrendered the pups at the LAPD Olympic Community station on Feb. 26.

But the plaintiff was later charged in connection to the theft with receiving stolen property and being an accessory to the crime. She reportedly dated the father of one of the men who assaulted Lady Gaga's dogwalker. She eventually pleaded no contest to one count of receiving stolen property and was charged with two years of probation.

L.A. County Deputy District Attorney, Michele Hanisee, told TMZ that McBride was very much aware that the dogs were stolen because she knew the men involved with the crime for years. She had also hoped to get the reward when she returned them.

Hanisee further believes that "McBride and co. thought they could get her involved undetected because she was a white woman." The D.A. "also points out McBride is still on probation, and if Gaga suffered any sort of financial loss, the people could seek financial restitution from McBride."

The "A Star is Born" actress' dogwalker Ryan Fischer was walking her three dogs along Sierra Bonita Avenue in Hollywood when the robbery happened. Footage captured by the singer's neighbour showed a car parked on the road beside him and two men coming out. They tried to take all three but he resisted. A gunshot was then heard and Fischer fell to the ground. The two men ran off with Koji and Gustav. The dogwalker was shot in the chest multiple times. Thankfully, he survived the brutal attack.

Lady Gaga reportedly withheld the $500,000 reward at the time over concerns that the crime was gang-initiated.