Friends reveal how they made up an elaborate legal dispute about a cat squashed by a television to make thousands from appearing on Judge Judy

  • New York City roommates Jonathan, Kate and Brian hatched the idea and made it on the air in 2010
  • The fake dispute claimed Jonathan drunkenly smashed two televisions, one of which killed Kate's cat Trips
  • Producers paid for them all to fly to Los Angeles, eat for free and stay in a hotel and gave Kate $1,250

A group of New York City musicians who took their dispute over a dead cat and two smashed TVs to Judge Judy have revealed they faked it all to win settlement cash and a free trip to Los Angeles.

Jonathan, Kate and Brian really were roommates at the time of suit and they really did have a cat named Trips, but Jonathan never drunkenly smashed the pet to death with a television.

However, that's exactly what they told Judge Judy in 2010. And along with some other hilarious made-up details, their sham episode made for one of the most memorable episodes of the court reality show to-date.

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ack in 2010, there was an amazing Judge Judy segment that featured four people in a dispute over some smashed TVs and a dead cat. You may have seen a clip of it called "Best Judge Judy ending EVER!!!!!" (It's embedded above.)

The story was completely made up?invented by four roommates in order to get a free trip to LA and some cash out of the Judge Judy producers. 

The story they invented was, basically, that a guy called Jonathan had gotten wasted at the house of a girl named Kate and smashed two TVs that she owned. One of the TVs, she said, landed on her pet cat, Trips, killing it. You can see the full segment here. 

I spoke to Jonathan, the defendant in the case, to hear his side of what happened:
ack in 2010, there was an amazing Judge Judy segment that featured four people in a dispute over some smashed TVs and a dead cat. You may have seen a clip of it called "Best Judge Judy ending EVER!!!!!" (It's embedded above.)

The story was completely made up?invented by four roommates in order to get a free trip to LA and some cash out of the Judge Judy producers. 

The story they invented was, basically, that a guy called Jonathan had gotten wasted at the house of a girl named Kate and smashed two TVs that she owned. One of the TVs, she said, landed on her pet cat, Trips, killing it. You can see the full segment here. 

I spoke to Jonathan, the defendant in the case, to hear his side of what happened:

Yes, your honor: Jonathan Coward (left) and his roommate Kate completely fabricated a legal dispute in order to get onto Judge Judy in 2010 and receive a cash settlement

Meow: The musician roommates from New York claimed that Jonathan drunkenly killed Kate's cat by smashing it with a TV but that Kate quickly buried it

Meow: The musician roommates from New York claimed that Jonathan drunkenly killed Kate's cat by smashing it with a TV but that Kate quickly buried it

Jonathan, who appears as the long-haired, leather jacket sporting ne'er do well in the episode spoke to Vice about how the idea was hatched and how the con played out.

'Absolutely none of it' was real, Jonathan recently told Vice, before admitting: 'the cat existed.'

'His name was Trips, and to my knowledge he's still alive. He did end up running away, like, pretty soon after the show, though.'

The idea began when Kate moved up to New York from Baltimore and was in search of a way to make money.

'So I told her we could come up with some story for Judge Judy, and we would probably get the settlement and a free trip to LA,' he said. 'I was aware that the cap for small claims was around four grand. Kate got real excited about it and emailed the show straight away.'

'Kate is nasty': Their roommate Brian also appeared and pretended to be Jonathan's Kate-bashing ex-boyfriend

'Kate is nasty': Their roommate Brian also appeared and pretended to be Jonathan's Kate-bashing ex-boyfriend

In the story Kate hatched, Jonathan was black-out drunk when he started to become destructive until things devolved to the point that he was throwing things.

He threw one TV into a wall then threw another, which Kate would claim crushed her cat to death.

In the episode, Kate's sad facade begins to crack while she discusses the dead cat and at various other moments it seems as if both she and Jonathan are having a tough time not laughing.

According to Jonathan, the producer they worked with was pretty clear that she knew none of it was real from the very start.

'She called me and was like, "You know, you guys can comp your meals from when you get in, just save your receipts. But if you guys have receipts for the same restaurant, the whole thing is off,"' he told Vice.

For your troubles: Neither the producers nor Judge Judy herself really seemed to believe the giggling roommates' story, but they paid her $1,250 for the smashed property and kitty, nonetheless

For your troubles: Neither the producers nor Judge Judy herself really seemed to believe the giggling roommates' story, but they paid her $1,250 for the smashed property and kitty, nonetheless

He said Judge Judy herself seemed not to buy it, either.

'Our taping was so quick,' he said. 'I think the reason our taping was so short was because Judy ended up figuring out that we were lying.'

During the arguments, Jonathan plays the lazy musician role and Kate pretends to cry over her dead cat while Judge Judy scrutinizes their pictorial 'evidence,'

Their roommate Brian also shows up in the episode and pretends to be Jonathan's Kate-bashing ex-boyfriend, though he isn't actually interested in men.

Then, just like that, the verdict: Kate was awarded $1,250.

'We divided it between us,' Jonathan said, along with his $250 appearance fee. 'Then we went to Musso & Frank's and used our money to have a lavish, silly lunch.'

They also rented a convertible Mustand and drove to Malibu, where they blew much of the money drinking champagne and relaxing with friends all day.

'It felt awesome,' Jonathan told Vice. 'It felt so good.' 

So what they do with the money: The group immediately rented a convertible Mustang, drove to Malibu and drank champagne in a hot tub all day

So what they do with the money: The group immediately rented a convertible Mustang, drove to Malibu and drank champagne in a hot tub all day




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