Billionaire Nicola Peltz Beckham Sues Dog Groomer Over Her Chihuahua’s Death

Actress Nicola Peltz Beckham has taken legal action against a groomer she alleges was responsible for the death of her beloved chihuahua, Nala.

Peltz Beckham has filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Westchester, targeting the groomer, Jony Ceballos, as well as the grooming company, HoundSpa LLC and its owner, Deborah “Deb” Gittleman.

According to the lawsuit, Peltz Beckham claims that Nala’s death, which she and her husband Brooklyn Beckham announced on Instagram, was caused by Ceballos’ “intentional and malicious abuse of dogs.” The lawsuit further alleges that HoundSpa and Gittleman exhibited “reckless and malicious conduct” by keeping Ceballos employed despite a “history of complaints” about his repeated mistreatment and abuse of animals.

The lawsuit states that Nala “passed away a mere two hours” after being groomed by Ceballos in a mobile grooming van outside Peltz Beckham’s home on June 15. The filing claims that Nala “went into the grooming van, a happy, healthy dog, but returned injured and in severe physical distress— breathing heavily and wheezing, with her chest pulsating.”

Peltz Beckham then rushed Nala to a nearby veterinarian, who observed that the dog’s “tongue was blue, she had fluid in her lungs, and she suffered neurological damage.” Nala was unable to recover and passed away.

In the aftermath of Nala’s death, Peltz Beckham has reportedly experienced “damages and emotional distress.” The lawsuit emphasized the need to “hold responsible those who abuse animals in their care and [shed] light on the lack of protections for pet owners and their beloved dogs and pets.”

Peltz Beckham expressed her continued shock and pain over Nala’s sudden passing in a statement and stated that she posted the experience on her Instagram to raise awareness and was heartbroken to hear similar tragic stories from others. The actress vowed to “work for changes and laws to help make sure no one else ever has to experience this heartbreak” and said she cannot, in good conscience, let this “horrifying act happen to more families.”

Peltz Beckham, the daughter of billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, married Brooklyn Beckham, the son of David and Victoria Beckham, in April 2022.