A lawsuit filed by a former “star gymnast” accuses Dog Whisperer star César Millan’s pitbull of attacking her and claimed the dog had attacked before, and mauled actress Queen Latifah’s dog to death. The suit has alleged that Millan covered up the dog’s death by claiming it had been hit by a car while at his facility. The reality star, who recently launched his new show César Millan: Better Human Better Dog, has pushed back against the suit’s claims.
César Millan made himself a household name by proving that no dog was too tough for him to rehabilitate, and no human too much trouble to train, but now he’s got problems with both species thanks to a new lawsuit. The Dog Whisperer star has been hit with a bombshell lawsuit after a “star gymnast,” Lidia Matiss, was attacked by his dog, Junior. TMZ acquired the legal documents that reveal the whole sordid mess.
Details Of Alleged Attack Leak Through Court Documents
The alleged attack took place in 2017 at Millan’s LA office where the plaintiff’s mother worked. Matiss, who at the time performed at the highest level in the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics Programs, allegedly ran across the dog in the hallway and noted that it was not wearing a leash or accompanied by anyone. According to the lawsuit, she was bitten on her legs by the pitbull dog.
How Queen Latifah Is Involved
The filing went on to note that the dog had been involved in other acts of violence, including a reported attack against The Equalizer star Queen Latifah’s dog. The lawsuit states that Latifah’s dog had come to Millan’s Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita, California, apparently for training. Junior allegedly attacked the dog so viciously that it soon died from its injuries. Rather than cop to the attack, however, Millan allegedly ordered staff to lie to Latifah and tell the actress her dog had been hit by a car.
César Millan’s Response To The Suit
In a somewhat surprising move, Millan didn’t argue that Junior wasn’t dangerous but rather blamed Matiss for the alleged attack. The reality star responded to the suit by claiming Matiss was aware of how dangerous Junior was and she’d assumed the risk of being bitten. He also claimed she was negligent, though the court documents didn’t explain in what way. Junior recently passed away at the age of 15, leading to Millan grieving the death of his “best friend” on Instagram.
Matiss is suing for unspecified damages after claiming the bites left behind by Junior left her disfigured and still suffering physical and emotional pain from her injuries. At the time of the alleged attack, she’d also been courted by the University of Pennsylvania thanks to her gymnastics skills, but that was all put to an end after her injuries reportedly ended her gymnastics career. The case is still ongoing, so we will continue to check back in for further developments.