Court Rules Gaga Not Required to Pay Reward to Woman Tied to Dognapping

A judge served up justice for Lady Gaga with a ruling that the pop icon will not have to pay a woman reward money for the return of her French bulldogs, which were stolen in February of 2021, since the woman has been tied to the dognappers.

Entertainment Weekly reported that thanks to the ruling, Gaga "does not need to pay Jennifer McBride... the $500,000 reward money that was offered at the time of the incident."

McBride had initially filed suit against the Oscar-winning songwriter and actor, claiming that the reward money for the return of the dogs was offered "with the intent to defraud and induce members of the public, such as Plaintiff, to rely upon it and to act upon said promise by locating and delivering Lady Gaga's bulldogs to Defendants."

The first suit was rejected due to McBride's alleged "involvement in the theft" of the bulldogs. McBride re-filed, claiming "that she wasn't involved in the actual theft and only took possession of the dogs to return them," EW explained.

That didn't hold water in the view of the judge.

"McBride was one of five people arrested in 2021 in connection with the dognapping and shooting of dogwalker Ryan Fischer," EW recalled.

"Though McBride did not participate in the actual kidnapping or shooting, she was arrested in 2021 and charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to attempted murder, and one count for receiving stolen property," EW added. "She was not convicted on the former charge, but was ultimately sentenced to two years probation after pleading no contest to the charge of receiving stolen property."

James Howard Jackson, the man convicted of shooting the pop star's dogwalker, "pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison," EW noted.

Fischer, Gaga's openly gay former dogwalker, had put up a valiant effort to protect the dogs from the perpetrators, striking one of the men with a bottle of champagne he had just purchased. But he was shot for his efforts, the bullet passing through one of his lungs. Part of his lung was surgically removed as surgeons worked to save his life.

In the wake of the dognapping, Fischer experienced homelessness and sought help through GoFund Me. But he also spoke out to say that Gaga had been "very supportive of my journey" as he healed from the physical injuries and trauma he suffered.

As for McBride, her attempt to sue Gaga has hit a dead end; EW relayed that "because the judge will not allow McBride another revised complaint, the case is now closed."