Chris Brown Has His Monkey Taken Away, Faces Legal Trouble
A judge has taken away Chris Brown's right to own a capuchin monkey.
Brown, charged with two misdemeanors regarding his possession of a pet monkey without a permit, was legally ordered to forfeit his relationship with his monkey named Fiji, and he was ordered to pay $35,000 for the monkey’s new home. Brown is forbidden from seeing the monkey without permission, The Associated Press reported.
The popstar, 30, is also not allowed to own other species of monkeys, and he is required to prove otherwise through a search.
Brown's charges could be dropped in June if he adheres to the court's orders.
The monkey was illegally acquired by Brown through an exotic animal breeder, Jim “The Monkey Whisperer” Hammonds in Nevada, back in 2017. Brown paid more than $12,600 according to court documents, Billboard reported.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, also known as PETA, tipped the government about The Monkey Whisperer's deal with Brown. Hammonds was arrested and faces a maximum of five years in prison for the charge of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking, in addition to a three-year-add-on for three counts of violating the Endangered Species Act.
The Monkey Whisperer received fines exceeding $400,000 with six years of supervised release on parole, Billboard reported.
“Exotic animals are not playthings, fashion accessories, or Instagram props for celebrities, and they’re not a business venture, either,” Michelle Sinnott, the PETA Foundation’s associate director of captive animal law enforcement, said in a statement. “Many animal advocates alerted PETA to Chris Brown’s illegal possession of this monkey, and they helped us take down a cruel and criminal breeder.”
