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Tiger King director Eric Goode's new series will pull back the curtain on Tonia Haddix, the self-proclaimed 'Dolly Parton of chimps.'
Goode was one of two directors on the hit Netflix show Tiger King, which followed the battle of wills between big cat trainer Joe Exotic and animal rights activist Carole Baskin - culminating in his going to prison for hiring a hitman to kill her.
Now in the HBO docuseries Chimp Crazy, Goode is presenting the bizarre tale of Haddix, an animal dealer who kept seven chimpanzees for use in showbiz.
The most famous was Tonka, who starred with Alan Cumming in the 1997 film Buddy - and whom Haddix said she would 'give my life for' in a new teaser for Chimp Crazy.
When Haddix was ordered to give up her chimpanzees to an animal sanctuary, she sensationally claimed Tonka had died, only for him to be found alive in a cage in her basement nearly a year later.
Tiger King director Eric Goode's new series will pull back the curtain on Tonia Haddix, the self-proclaimed 'Dolly Parton of chimps'; Haddix pictured in the teaser
'Tonka and I just found each other,' cooed Haddix in the teaser over footage of her playing with the ape: 'and Tonka loved me as much as I loved Tonka.'
She declared: 'It was meant to be. It was just natural. It's like your love for God. And I'll do anything to protect that primate.'
Cryptic footage then played of what looked like armed law enforcement raids - hinting at the legal drama that unfolded around Haddix' venture.
'I would give anything that I have possession-wise up for that child. I would give my life for him, and that's exactly what I did, to be honest,' said Haddix eerily.
The saga began when animal activists took aim at the Missouri Primate Foundation, where chimpanzees were bred for sale, either into showbiz or as exotic pets.
People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) filed suit against the organization over the living conditions of the primates.
Some of the chimpanzees were moved into Haddix' care in 2018, whereupon PETA also took her to court over the quality of life she was providing them.
PETA scored a victory in 2021 when it was permitted to take Haddix' chimpanzees away from her and off to an sanctuary.
Goode was one of two directors on the hit Netflix show Tiger King, which followed the battle of wills between big cat trainer Joe Exotic (pictured) and animal rights activist Carole Baskin
The most famous of Haddix' chimpanzees was Tonka, who starred with Alan Cumming in the 1997 movie Buddy; Cumming and his chimp pictured together at the premiere in 1997
Haddix is pictured in news footage around the time of her scandal (left), while Parton, whom she compared herself to, is pictured playing Glastonbury in 2014
'Tonka and I just found each other,' cooed Haddix in the teaser over footage of her playing with the ape: 'and Tonka loved me as much as I loved Tonka'
I would give anything that I have possession-wise up for that child,' said Haddix eerily: 'I would give my life for him, and that's exactly what I did, to be honest'
When Haddix was ordered to give up her chimpanzees to an animal sanctuary, she sensationally claimed Tonka had died, only for him to later be found alive in her basement
However, the tale took a bewildering turn when PETA attempted to retrieve the primates that July and Tonka was nowhere to be found.
Haddix astonishingly claimed Tonka had died months earlier of heart failure and that she had cremated his body in a backyard firepit.
However allegations began swirling that Tonka was actually alive, to the point even Alan Cumming got involved in the search for his old Buddy co-star.
Cumming offered a $10,000 reward to whoever found Tonka, prompting PETA to add an extra $10,000 of their own into the bargain.
Tonka was ultimately discovered in a cage in Haddix' basement, allegedly with a 60-inch TV and a tablet device available for his use, according to Rolling Stone.
Haddix was ordered to pay PETA $224,404.24 for lying about Tonka's death, which constituted perjury and submission of false information to a court.
PETA further accused Haddix of making an appointment to have Tonka euthanized, which she staunchly disputed, insisting the appointment was only a check-up.
