Tom Brady Stunned Fans By Revealing His New Family Dog Is Actually His Late Dog's Clone

Nov 07, 2025 by apost team

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady has revealed that his dog Junie is actually a clone of his late pit bull mix, Lua, who passed away in December 2023. The emotional revelation came as Brady celebrated a new partnership between Colossal Biosciences, a biotech company in which he invests, and Viagen Pets and Equine, known for its pioneering work in pet cloning.

Lua was originally adopted during Brady’s marriage to Gisele Bündchen, and she became a beloved part of their family life with children Benjamin and Vivian. The pup even appeared in Brady’s 2014 UGG Australia commercial, and the family often shared sweet moments with her on social media.

When Lua died in late 2023, Bündchen posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram:

“Our little Lulu, our guardian angel, is gone to heaven. She will forever live in our hearts. We already miss her sooooo much! #unconditionallove RIPLua 💔.”

Brady also shared his grief, posting photos of Lua with their kids and writing, “We love you, Lua. Forever in our hearts.”

Nearly two years later, in November 2025, Brady revealed that Junie — the family’s new, almost identical dog — was cloned from Lua using cutting-edge biotechnology. The process was handled by Colossal Biosciences, the Dallas-based company Brady has invested in, in collaboration with Viagen Pets and Equine, the same firm known for cloning Barbra Streisand’s dog Samantha and Paris Hilton’s pet Diamond Baby, as The Guardian reports.

According to Colossal, Lua’s DNA was collected through a non-invasive blood draw before her death. The company later used this sample to create Junie, a genetic twin born long after Lua passed.

“I love my animals. They mean the world to me and my family,” Brady said in a statement. “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.” He also added that Colossal “gave my family a second chance with a clone of our beloved dog.”

Brady added that he’s “excited to see how Colossal and Viagen’s technology can help families grieving their pets — while also advancing efforts to save endangered species.”

According to The Guardian, Viagen’s cloning process is based on techniques licensed from the Roslin Institute in Scotland, the same research center that famously cloned Dolly the Sheep in the 1990s. While Viagen focuses on pets and horses, Colossal is also known for its “de-extinction” projects — such as efforts to revive the dodo bird and create genetically engineered “dire wolf” pups.

Brady’s announcement has reignited debate about the ethics of pet cloning — balancing grief, science, and love. Yet for Brady, the decision was deeply personal, not experimental.

“Junie isn’t a replacement for Lua,” he reportedly told close friends. “But she’s a beautiful reminder of the love we had — and still have.”

According to numbers provided by The Austin-American Statesman, the costs for cloning a dog via the procedure Brady opted for come in at $50,000, while cloning a horse could cost as much as $85,000.

apost.com

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