Tom Brady revealed that her current dog, Junie, is actually a clone of her beloved pit bull Lua, who died in December 2023. The former quarterback of the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had shared the animal with his ex-wife Gisele Bündchen and their children, explained that the cloning took place thanks to Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas biotechnology company of which he is also an investor. On the site we read that maintaining the genetic code of an animal costs around 1,600 dollars (almost 1,400 euros at the current exchange rate), while cloning a dog or a cat can cost up to 50 thousand dollars (just under 44 thousand euros).
Tom Brady had his dog cloned
Brady said he worked with the company when Lua was still alive, allowing take a blood sample for future cloning. «I love my animals. They mean everything to me and my family,” he told People. «A few years ago I worked with Colossal, using their non-invasive cloning technology through a simple blood draw from our elderly dog before he died». The result was Junie, a genetic replica of the four-legged companion who had accompanied the Brady-Bündchen family for years.
Barbra Streisand and Paris Hilton’s dogs were also cloned
On November 4, Colossal Biosciences announced the acquisition of Viagen Pets and Equine, a company specializing in pet cloning. It’s the same company he had in the past recreated Samantha, Barbra Streisand’s dog, and Diamond Baby, Paris Hilton’s chihuahua who passed away in 2022. Viagen has exclusive access to technologies developed by the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, the institute that gave birth to the famous Dolly sheep in the 1990s.
Tom Brady explained that the collaboration between the two companies could also have repercussions on the conservation of endangered fauna: «They gave my family a second chance with a clone of our beloved dog», he declared. «I am excited about how Colossal and Viagen’s technology together can help both families who lose their favorite pets and the protection of endangered species».
The special bond between Tom Brady and Lua
Lua, adopted by Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen during their marriage, had been a constant presence in the life of the family. After her death, the Brazilian top model shared a touching greeting on Instagram: «Our little Lulu, our guardian angel, has flown to heaven. He will live forever in our hearts. We already miss him so much!” Brady also published a tribute on social media, writing: “We love you Lua, rest in peace” and “forever in our hearts.”
The announcement of the clone comes nearly two years after that loss, putting not only thethe deep bond between man and animals, but also the new possibilities offered by biotechnology.