It follows Tonia Haddix, whose love for a chimpanzee spins into a wild game with authorities and the animal rights group PETA.

After the filmmakers tell PETA about Tonka's situation, federal marshals come to Tonia Haddix's house to take him to Save the Chimps.

She invites the film crew to her exotic petting zoo and tells Goode about getting attacked by a friend's chimpanzee, who bit off a piece of her ear and dislocated her shoulder.

For this production, he hired Dwayne Cunningham, a former circus clown and animal trainer, to pose as a "pro-ownership" filmmaker to approach Haddix.

[9] In a 2018 interview, Casey talked about her decision to find a dealer to buy "wild caught" chimps before the law (Endangered Species Act) made it too difficult.

[10][11] She started a business, Chimparty, renting out baby chimps for children's birthday parties, nursing homes, and TV and film productions.

[14] Suzy had given birth to a total of six chimps, including Travis, who made national headlines in 2009 when he mauled a woman in Connecticut and was shot by police.

[11] In 2016, an employee at the primate facility, Angela Scott, contacted PETA to express concerns about abuse she had witnessed at work.

[20] Connie Casey was the Chimp Crazy team's initial choice as the subject for the film, but she declined to appear on camera, so they focused on Tonia Haddix.

[21] As a result of the PETA lawsuit, six of the former Missouri Primate Foundation chimpanzees were sent to the Center for Great Apes, an accredited sanctuary in Florida.

On its Facebook page, the Center posted that Connie Casey (of Missouri Primate Foundation) "was notified as soon as the diagnosis was made, and she visited him at the sanctuary to be with him during his final days.

"[29] As a result of being held in Tonia Haddix's basement for several months, Tonka was unable to secure a spot with his family members at the sanctuary, which by then had no more vacancies.

[35][36][37][38] Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) held a press conference to raise awareness of the bill, in hopes that the "renewed conversations around primate ownership" sparked by Chimp Crazy will finally prompt Congress to act.

"[40] In October 2024, PETA filed a new motion accusing Tonia Haddix of perjury and violating previous court orders, citing Chimp Crazy as evidence.

[41] Chimp Crazy netted over 2 million viewers within its first week of release, putting it on pace to be the most viewed HBO docuseries since 2020's McMillions.