Law360's Pro Say - News & Analysis on Law and the Legal Industry · Law360 - Legal News & Analysis

THANKSGIVING SPECIAL - A Plate Full Of Offbeat News

·44 min·2 clips

Welcome to Pro Se, Law360's weekly podcast. I'm your host, Amber McKinney, and I am very thankful fo...

This Thanksgiving special episode of Law360's Pro Say features hosts Amber McKinney, Alex Lawson, and Haley Knaath revisiting their favorite offbeat legal stories from the year. The trio shares updates on three bizarre cases that blend celebrity, crime, and pop culture. Their first story revisits the 2021 kidnapping of Lady Gaga's French bulldogs, Koji and Gustav. A woman named Jennifer McBride, who returned the dogs but was later convicted for her role in the plot, sued Gaga for the $500,000 "no questions asked" reward. McBride sought $1.5 million in damages, claiming mental anguish from missing the reward, though her lawsuit omitted her criminal involvement. Lady Gaga's attorneys at Gibson Dunn argued the law doesn't allow someone to profit from their crime, and a Los Angeles judge dismissed the suit in July, citing McBride's guilty plea. The second case involves rapper Afroman (Joseph Foreman) being sued by Ohio police officers who raided his home and found no evidence. The officers claim Afroman violated their privacy by using security footage of the raid in social media posts and songs like "Lemon Pound Cake," where he nicknamed an officer after a dessert he eyed. Afroman also sold merchandise featuring the officers' images and vowed to countersue for the unlawful raid. An Ohio judge in October dismissed the officers' right-of-publicity claims but allowed defamation claims to proceed, citing statements Afroman presented as fact. The final segment covers the real story behind the movie "Cocaine Bear," inspired by a 1985 incident where a bear ingested cocaine dumped by drug smuggler Andrew Thornton, a former police officer and lawyer. The real bear, nicknamed Pablo Escobar, died of an overdose without harming anyone and was later stuffed. The hosts reveal the stuffed bear now resides at the Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington and has even officiated weddings. A surprising insight is the legal argument that if Lady Gaga paid the reward, prosecutors could seek restitution from McBride, meaning the money might be returned. The judge in the Afroman case noted the "nominal" monetary value at issue compared to the officers' humiliation from being mocked. The episode has a conversational and humorous tone, with the hosts sharing personal anecdotes like Alex's awkward barbershop visit. Listeners who enjoy quirky, real-life legal dramas intersecting with celebrity culture will love this episode. Those seeking serious, hard-hitting legal analysis might want to skip this lighter holiday special.

As heard by us

A Thanksgiving roundup that serves legal oddities with real reporting and a dry grin.

Pro Se's Thanksgiving week episode turns a familiar holiday stretch into a brisk run through offbeat legal stories. The hosts keep the mood light and approachable, then spend much of the time on the Afroman "Lemon Pound Cake" dispute, including the raid footage, the trolling,…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play for a Thanksgiving-week plate of legal weirdness, led by Afroman's "Lemon Pound Cake."

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Law360's Pro Say - News & Analysis on Law and the Legal Industry