Billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz is facing a second lawsuit alleging his pit bull, Houdini, attacked a visitor at his $375 million Palm Beach, Florida, mansion. The incident is alleged to have occurred on December 23, 2025, when Joy Ransom claims she was on the property for business and was bitten by the dog without provocation.
Ransom's legal filing states that Peltz and his wife, Claudia, had a duty to keep visitors safe from their dog and failed to secure Houdini. The lawsuit also suggests that Nicola Peltz, Nelson Peltz's daughter and wife of Brooklyn Beckham, may have been present during the alleged attack, as legal documents ask the couple to admit or deny her presence with the dog.
Attorneys for Ransom point to a previous lawsuit filed by a former housekeeper, Mileydis Morejon, who also claimed to have been attacked by Houdini. That case, which involved allegations of the dog's "dangerous propensities," was settled confidentially in May 2026. Ransom's legal team argues that the Peltzes should have known Houdini qualified as a "dangerous dog" based on the prior incident.
Florida state law requires owners to report dogs with dangerous propensities to animal control authorities, secure a registration certificate, and ensure the animal is microchipped. The lawsuit alleges these measures were not taken, and that Houdini was not kept in a confined space when he was outside.
Houdini, a rescue pit bull, was gifted to Nelson Peltz by his daughter Nicola, who co-founded the animal shelter Yogi's House. Nicola Peltz had previously been named as a witness in the housekeeper's lawsuit, though a video deposition was canceled following the settlement.
In the previous legal battle, Peltz's lawyers had argued that a "Beware of the Dog" sign at the property entrance absolved them of responsibility and that Morejon, as an independent contractor, was not owed a duty of care. However, Morejon's lawyers countered that she used a service entrance, not the main door where the sign was posted.
Ransom is seeking a jury trial and damages exceeding $50,000 for the injuries she claims to have sustained, describing them as "bodily injury and resulting physical mental pain and suffering" that are "either permanent or continuing."