A lawsuit alleges Cesar Millan’s pit bull severely injured an aspiring gymnast and mauled one of Queen Latifah’s dogs to death.
Lidia Matiss, who filed the lawsuit, alleges Cesar’s dog not only has a history of extreme violence, but it allegedly attacked and killed Queen Latifah’s pup, and he then tried to cover it up.
According to TMZ, Lidia claims she went to an office building owned by Millan in Van Nuys, CA in 2017. Lidia says she was visiting her mom, who worked for Cesar.
She says she encountered Cesar’s pit bull, Junior, who was roaming the halls unsupervised and off his leash.
Lidia claims the dog attacked her, repeatedly biting her and seriously injuring her left calf. She went to the ER for treatment of severe dog bites.
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The lawsuit says Lidia was a “star gymnast” who was being actively recruited by the University of Pennsylvania. However, everything changed after she was attacked and she could no longer compete due to the extreme pain.
Lidia’s suit claims Cesar knew Junior had a history of violence yet regularly allowed the dog to roam free. She says the dog had bitten several people and mauled several dogs, including one dog owned by Queen Latifah.
According to the lawsuit, Queen Latifah brought 2 of her dogs to Cesar’s Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita, CA. She says Junior mauled one of her dogs to death, and Lidia claims Cesar covered it up by telling his staff to tell Queen Latifah the dog was hit and killed by a car.
The 52-year-old celebrity dog trainer filed an answer to the lawsuit, claiming Lidia assumed the risk of being bitten because she knew of the danger. He also claims Lidia herself was negligent, although he doesn’t say how.
Lidia says the bite left her impaired, wounded, disfigured and she continues to suffer physical and emotional pain. She’s suing for unspecified damages.
The lawsuit is ongoing.
Cesar, who is best known as the “Dog Whisperer”, stars in a new National Geographic series, “Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog.”
