Shudder! Television and video game actor Dimitri Diatchenko was charged with killing and eating his ex-girlfriend's pet bunny rabbit Miss Ella — but the story gets even more gruesome. Diatchenko chronicled the entire process with photos, and threatened to do the same to her, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office told CNN in a statement on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Diatchenko, 46, reportedly took blow-by-blow images of the deed, sending his ex texts of each frame. When she returned home, he allegedly threatened to skin and eat her as well.
According to the DA's office, the actor and his ex-girlfriend were living together even after their relationship had ended, but the amicable arrangement went sour after the unidentified woman told him they "should no longer be roommates," Diatchenko decided to turn his rage on Miss Ella the bunny. "While the victim was out of the house, Diatchenko skinned the pet, cooked it, and ate half of it while sending her step-by-step pictures of what he did," prosecutors told reporters.
He was charged with felony counts including animal cruelty (he used a knife to skin and kill the creature) and making criminal threats against his ex.
Along with a multi-episode arc as Head Russian on Sons of Anarchy, Diatchenko has also appeared on Bones (as Dimitri Romanov), How I Met Your Mother (Arvydas), and 2 Broke Girls (as Yuri). His film credits include Chernobyl Diaries (2012), Get Smart (2008), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). The actor spoke to CNN's local affiliate KCAL9 on Thursday, claiming that the entire incident was a sick joke.
"This is all a misunderstanding," he said in a phone interview. "We got into an argument, but I didn’t kill the bunny. This was a hoax."
Instead, he claimed to have purchased rabbit meat at a local store to trick his ex into believing Miss Ella had been eaten. As for the other bunny's fate? Diatchenko claimed that he set Miss Ella free, and that she is still alive.
If Diatchenko is convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of four years and eight months behind bars.
