Wayne Newton's Pet Monkey Allegedly Attacked a 15-Year-Old Girl
Wayne Newton‘s pet likely won’t be monkeying around any longer.
On Wednesday, the longtime entertainer, 77, was sued by a Las Vegas woman after she claimed that her daughter was attacked by his pet monkey, Boo, during a visit to Newton’s former estate, the Associated Press reports.
The civil negligence complaint, which was filed in Nevada state court and obtained by the outlet, states that Jocelyne Urena is seeking at least $15,000 in damages on behalf of her daughter, Genevieve, after the alleged incident at Casa de Shenandoah in October 2017.
Jocelyne’s attorney, Marc Naron, told the outlet that Genevieve, then 15, was bitten on her right wrist by the monkey “without any provocation” and sought out emergency hospital treatment after the encounter.
Naron also claimed that Boo, a capuchin monkey, was unleashed and uncaged during the attack at Newton’s former estate, which has since become a tourist attraction that features stables for Newton’s horses and several exotic animals.
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In the time since the incident, Naron told the AP that Genevieve has undergone follow-up medical treatment, counseling and suffered a scar from the bite.
“Without any provocation, the monkey viciously attacked and bit Ms. Urena, causing injury to her body as well as emotional distress,” the lawsuit alleges, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Naron did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
In a statement to PEOPLE, however, Wayne and Kathleen Newton denied any knowledge of the situation.
The couple also said that they had severed ties with the company running their former home three months before the alleged attack due to Newton’s health crisis from a spider bite.
“With regard to this lawsuit, we have not seen the complaint, but our company ceased running Casa de Shenandoah July 1, 2017, due to Wayne’s almost dying from a spider bite,” they said.
“So we are not a party and have no idea what happened in Oct 2017,” the couple added.
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Newton and his family lived at Casa de Shenandoah in Paradise, Nevada for over 40 years, according to the AP. In 2010, the singer, known as “Mr. Las Vegas,” sold it to investors who later converted it into a tourist attraction and museum.
CSD LLC., the company who took over Newton’s estate, are also reportedly named in the lawsuit, according to the AP.
Since April 23, 2018, Casa de Shenandoah has been closed due to property “maintenance and upgrades.” No reopening date has been announced.
Newton and his family, meanwhile, have lived at another home since 2013, the AP reports.
