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Lua died in 2023 after years with the family (Picture: Facebook) Tom Brady has revealed that his pet dog Junie is a clone of his late pet Lua, who died in 2023. Lua was a pitbull mix adopted by Brady and his then-wife, Gisele Bundchen, during their marriage between 2009 and 2022. After a long life with the family, and even appearing alongside Brady in a 2014 Ugg Australia advert, the pup sadly died in 2023. However, Brady has now revealed that his almost two-year-old dog Junie is actually a clone of his late pet. The former NFL player revealed that biotech company Colossal Biosciences, in which he is an investor, helped him bring Lua back as a clone. ‘I love my animals. They mean the world to me and my family,’ the former NFL star said in a statement obtained by People. ‘A few years ago, I worked with Colossal and leveraged their non-invasive cloning technology through a simple blood draw of our family’s elderly dog before she passed.’ Lua died as a senior dog a few years ago (Picture: Instagram) The dog was rescued by Tom and his ex-wife (Picture: Instagram) He said the company ‘gave my family a second chance with a clone of our beloved dog.’ He also added he is ‘excited how Colossal and Viagen’s tech together can help both families losing their beloved pets while helping to save endangered species.’ As of November 4, Viagen has been purchased by Colossal Biosciences. Viagen was known for cloning celebrity pets, while Colossal has been making headlines for anti-extinction efforts, such as bringing back Dire Wolves and the Dodo. Junie (R) is genetically the same dog as Lua (Picture: VAEM/MIAMIPIXX / BACKGRID) In a press release to People, the biotech company said they have ‘exclusive licensing and access to the breakthrough technologies’ that were developed by the Roslin Institute of Edinburgh. The institution is widely known for the breakthrough cloning of Dolly the Sheep in the late 1990s. Celebrities with cloned dogs Viagen has cloned the pets of some of the rich and famous. Barbra Streisand’s dog Samantha, who died in 2017, has been cloned twice. The singer explained that cells were taken from the mouth and stomach of her Coton de Tulear, Samantha, to give life to the clones Miss Scarlett and Miss Violet. ‘I have two delicious babies,’ she told Lorraine showbiz reporter Ross King. ‘But the soul cannot be cloned,’ she added. ‘They’re so beautiful but they’re totally different. ‘One of them is very sweet and kind of shy, more like Sammie, but also feisty. The other one is like a monkey, she jumps up on couches, and down and under tables. I think she has a little monkey gene in her. Barbra Streisand had her dog Sammie (pictured) cloned twice (Picture: KMazur/WireImage) How much does cloning a pet cost? Viagen has a cost breakdown on its website for the cloning that it offers. The total cost of dog cloning is $50,000 (£38,400) The total cost of cat cloning is $50,000 (£38,400) The total cost of horse cloning is $85,000 (£65,300) How does it work? A veterinarian collects a cell DNA sample from the pet. A donor cell is acquired, and the nucleus is removed and replaced with the pet’s nucleas, full of genetic code. The reconstructed cell is stimulated to begin replicating the fertilisation division and implanted into a surrogate. The surrogate then has a normal gestation for the clone. ‘But they’re very different and they’re both so beautiful. I always see Sammie looking in their eyes. So she stays close to me.’ Paris Hilton’s dog Diamond Baby was also cloned when the pet went missing in 2022. During a season 2 episode of Paris in Love, which aired in November 2023, she revealed she had cloned her beloved dog Diamond Baby. She then revealed the cloned puppies, aptly named Diamond and Baby, to the world on the show. Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
