Actor Alan Cumming reveals he was ‘groomed’ and almost s3xually assaulted by Chimpanzee co-star because they’d become too ‘connected’ while filming hit 1997 movie Buddy

Scottish actor, Alan Cumming has revealed that he was almost sexually assaulted by CHIMP co-star Tonka because he’d become too ‘connected’ with his beloved chimpanzee while filming the hit 1997 movie Buddy.

The 58-year-old starred alongside the primate in the 1997 film Buddy, a comedy-drama which was based on a real-life gorilla called Massa.

Speaking at the second annual Save the Chimps fundraiser in New York City last week, one year after Tonka, now 32, was found alive and well following a frantic two-month search, Alan recounted to guests how he had ‘fallen in love’ with the animal and even let it groom him.

‘Tonka and I really connected and so much so that he wanted to groom me,’ Alan recalled of their time on the film. ‘When chimps groom, they do this funny clicking noise and pull your hair and go for your armpits… the trainers were like “no!”

‘They realized that Tonka thought I was another chimp… On the last day of the film, they let Tonka groom me as a treat.

‘I get really emotional even talking about it… We had this beautiful friendship.’

Alan revealed that while he was doing the press tour for the film, he was told that he was unable to reunite with Tonka over fears he would sexually assault him as a result of becoming sexually aggressive upon hitting puberty.

‘I came back to do the press tour and I would talk about it, how Tonka was really connected to me,’ he continued.

‘It was powerful. I came back to do the press tour and I was like “I’ll go and see Tonka”.

‘Then I did this morning talk show, and this producer came into the room and said “it’s a shame about Tonka isn’t it?” and I was like “what, did he die?”

‘They went: “No. Because he’s now five or six he’s more sexually aggressive and the trainers were worried if he saw you…”‘

Alan continued: ‘Basically because he was sexually aggressive and he loved me, he was basically going to sexually assault me.’

Alan’s shocking tale comes one year after Tonka was found alive after his owner admitted to faking his death to avoid turning him over to an ape sanctuary.

In April 2022, the actor offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could help locate the animal alongside animal welfare charity PETA, which also pledged $10,000.

Before he was found, Tonka was last seen in a cage in a controversial breeding facility in Missouri called Missouri Primate Foundation, which PETA claimed was ‘filthy.’

His owner Tonia Haddix had claimed the chimp had died in May 2021 from heart failure after a stroke.

But Tonka was found in Tonia’s Missouri home, with Rolling Stone stating the chimp had ‘access to a 60-inch TV and a tablet device’ and had even attended a St Patrick’s Day party.

When asked if she had lied about the animal’s death, the owner told the publication: ‘Oh absolutely, 100 per cent’.

Tonia added that she had faked Tonka’s death to avoid sending him to the Center for Great Apes sanctuary in Wauchula, Florida – despite a court order from a judge.