A TikTok star revealed how her ex sued her for $5,000 after taking the dog in their “very heated” breakup.
Personal finance guru Erin Confortini said police were initially called to her ex’s property after rowing over who got custody of their golden retriever Bella.
Police initially let Confortini take the pup, but her ex later provided her with legal papers on her birthday, claiming he deserved sole custody of the dog — or $5,000.
The 23-year-old from Pittsburgh eventually agreed to pay him the money directly — for her own “peace of mind” so she could keep the beloved pup.
She explained the dispute to her 233,000 followers, explaining, “We were fighting for over two weeks. And I think we both knew the end was near.
TikTok star Erin Confortini revealed how her ex sued her for $5,000 after taking the dog in their ‘very heated’ breakup
“But he texted me on this day on Thursday and said we need to talk when I get home.
“And I thought, are you going to break up with me? And he was like yes. I was like okay, what are we going to do with Bella? Bella was 100 percent my primary concern.”
She explains that while they broke up, her ex insisted that he take the dog to his parents’ house.
The revelation then prompted Confortini to “burst into tears” and grab the dog by the collar before her ex slammed the door in her face.
After she tried to call the police, her ex tried to take the phone from her, but was unsuccessful.
When the police arrived, they let her keep the dog – although they insisted they would have to mediate the situation themselves.
In a follow-up video, Confortini explained that she was trying to reach a shared custody deal with her ex, as the duo were only “ten minutes” apart.
She said, “Even after she tried to shoo me out of the dog I paid for and cared for for the past year, I still thought we could come up with some sort of joint custody — at least for the time being.”
She added; “The reason I thought this was like I knew how much pain I would be in if I never saw Bella again.
“And I was like assuming that he would be in the same kind of pain and that I’m not an asshole. I would never want anyone to feel that way.’
Conforntini has amassed $233,000 followers by sharing personal financial guidance on TikTok
She then sought the help of a lawyer after her ex refused to sign a written custody agreement.
About a month later, she said she received court documents in the mail claiming he was the one who bought the puppy.
But Confortini insists the dog was jointly owned by her and her partner.
She provided a certificate from the American Kennel Club Insider.
In the legal letter, her ex accused her of never paying any compensation for Bella – to which she objected.
The complaint requested the ‘return of the dog with monetary compensation’.
It added: “Alternatively, the plaintiff would seek the amount of $5,000 for both costs and punitive damages against the defendant.”
After consulting her attorney, she was told that her legal costs in court could easily be the same amount, so she decided to settle the fee.
Leonardo DiCaprio and his ex-girlfriend Camila Morrone, 25, would share custody of their dog, Sally
Morrone is pictured with Sally in 2021
But many commentators were shocked by her decision to pay off her ex.
“Can’t believe you gave him the 5k,” one wrote.
The number of dog custody lines is steadily increasing in the US as pups are increasingly considered a member of the family.
According to an 1897 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, dogs are considered “personal property” and should be treated as such in separations of relationships.
It emerged last month that Leonardo DiCaprio and his ex-girlfriend Camila Morrone, 25, are still seeing each other regularly as they share custody of their dog Sally.
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth were similarly embroiled in a custody dispute over their 15 animals — including seven dogs, two horses, two miniature horses, three cats and a pig — during their 2019 divorce.
Cyrus ended up keeping all 15 animals in a private settlement that didn’t go to court.