Los Angeles, CA. The small dog made famous from appearing in Taco Bell advertisements in the late 1990’s was found dead in a hotel room outside of Los Angeles late Monday morning. Cleaning staff found the Chihuahua, named “Chippy” lying motionless on the floor of his room when they came in to change the sheets and towels. His death ends his all-to-familiar story of quick fame and fortune, followed by depression and heavy drug use after his once bright star began to fade.
Friends of the talking dog were saddened by his death, but not shocked. “Chippy kind of fell apart after the (Taco Bell) ads stopped”, said actor and friend Corey Haim. “He had to deal with the sudden realization that his fifteen minutes were up, and that’s when (the drug use) started. I tried to help him, but he didn’t want to be helped.”
Chippy moved from his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa to Los Angeles seven years ago with hopes of commercial and television stardom, recalls childhood friend Andy Wertz. “He was a cute little dog, and he could talk. He even learned Spanish to broaden his appeal. No talking dog worked harder than Chippy”, said Wertz in a telephone interview.
After two years of minimum wage jobs, countless auditions, and a few forgettable non-speaking roles, Chippy landed the role of a lifetime. He was cast as the Taco Bell Chihuahua, pitching the now infamous “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” line in a series of popular television ads for the fast food giant. His face soon appeared on t-shirts and billboards, and money and women were suddenly at Chippy’s disposal. “He had a lot of money, and he got a lot of bitches. Literally.” said Haim. |
