Tom Brady
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
Retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady revealed this week that his pet dog is actually a clone of a family pet that died two years ago.
The revelation was announced Tuesday morning in a report from People. In 2023, Brady and his family lost Lua, a pit bull mix. Two years later, the family introduced to the world Junie — another dog with a similar appearance to Junie.
According to a statement from Brady, that wasn’t just a coincidence. The former QB revealed that the process was done in collaboration with the biotech company Colossal Biosciences. The report continued:
Brady’s late pet Lua was cloned using blood collected prior to her death in 2023, the Colossal investor said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
“I love my animals. They mean the world to me and my family,” the former NFL star said. “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.”
The company “gave my family a second chance with a clone of our beloved dog,” Brady continued, adding that 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 noted by People, the biotech company Viagen — which was acquired by Colossal — has cloned celebrity pets in the past. Previous clientele includes Barbara Streisand and Paris Hilton.