Nelson Peltz dog lawsuit claims pit bull attacked estate worker
Nelson and Claudia Peltz face a second lawsuit over Houdini, their family pit bull, after a woman alleged an attack at their Palm Beach estate.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
A new Nelson Peltz dog lawsuit has put Brooklyn Beckham’s in-laws back in court drama, with a woman alleging the family pit bull attacked her inside the Peltzes’ Palm Beach estate.
Nelson and Claudia Peltz, the billionaire parents of Nicola Peltz Beckham, are facing a second lawsuit involving Houdini, a pit bull TMZ says was gifted to them by Nicola.
The latest case was filed by Joy Ransom and first reported by the Daily Mail, according to TMZ. Ransom claims she was legally inside the Peltz home wrapping holiday gifts when Houdini allegedly attacked her without provocation.
What is the Nelson Peltz dog lawsuit about?
Ransom alleges Houdini was allowed to move around the home while employees were working, even though the dog had already been named in an earlier lawsuit by a former housekeeper. She claims she suffered permanent injuries, pain, scarring and emotional trauma, and is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
Attorney Michael Steinger, who represents Ransom, told TMZ that the earlier case should have prompted stronger safeguards by the Peltzes. He said a first incident can be understood as tragic, but a second alleged attack raises questions about what changed afterward.
Steinger also told TMZ that once a dog has bitten someone, its owners are on notice to take every reasonable step to stop another incident from happening. He argued the new lawsuit suggests those precautions were either not taken or did not work.
What happened in the earlier Houdini case?
In the previous lawsuit, a former housekeeper claimed Houdini repeatedly lunged at her while she worked at the Peltz estate, according to TMZ. She alleged the encounters caused her to fall and suffer injuries.
The Peltzes denied negligence in that case and disputed the allegation that the housekeeper ever physically contacted the dog, TMZ reported. That lawsuit was later settled confidentially.
No response from Nelson or Claudia Peltz to Ransom’s new lawsuit was included in TMZ’s report. The claims in Ransom’s filing remain allegations unless proven in court or resolved by settlement.
The case adds another legal headache around Houdini, whose alleged conduct is now at the center of two separate claims involving people working inside the family’s Palm Beach home.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.