As we’ve been covering, Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin have broken up after eight years together, and it’s final this time. The prevailing theory is that Dakota’s own team got the word out so that she wouldn’t be pestered with Chris questions as she promotes her latest movie, The Materialists. Now Dakota has revealed some other news, and this one is guaranteed to keep questions on all other topics at bay: she adopted a new dog!! The fur puppy is named Tokyo, and Dakota rescued her from the Santa Barbara pound. Tokyo got her first taste of having a celeb as her person, when Mama Dakota brought Tokyo to the recording/taping of Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast. The episode came out this week, and oh my woof, Tokyo is frickin’ adorable.
Dakota Johnson has caught a new animal in her web.
Less than a week after her breakup with Chris Martin was revealed, the Materialists star shared that she adopted a new puppy named Tokyo from the Santa Barbara Humane Society in California.
“We rescued her on Saturday from the Santa Barbara pound,” Dakota told host Amy Poehler during the June 10 episode of the Good Hang podcast. “I didn’t plan on it.”
The 35-year-old went on to share that she was still coping with the death of her previous dog Zeppelin, who died in December at age 17, when she stumbled upon the brown-and-white haired pup.
“I thought, ‘It’s gonna be a while,’” Dakota recalled. “But then I saw her, and she’s an angel.”
And Tokyo is already warming up to her new home. In fact, Dakota—who brought her new BFF to the podcast appearance—noted that the doggo’s playfulness inside the recording studio was a new development.
“She’s a performer,” Dakota joked after Tokyo began sniffing her microphone. “Honestly, she has come alive on camera. She normally hides in the back of her crate. She’s really timid. And now she’s like, ‘Here I am.’”
Addressing her pup directly, she quipped, “You’re an actress just like your mom!”
Six days prior to Tokyo’s big debut, multiple outlets reported that Dakota and Chris, 48, had called it quits after nearly eight years together.
And while the Madame Web actress has yet to publicly address the split, she has shared what her dating non-negotiable is going forward.
As she told Craig Melvin on the June 9 episode of Today, “Just like, not an a–hole.”
Another important trait her future partner should probably have? Loving dogs. After all, Dakota has previously detailed the crucial role her late dog played in her life.
“We’ve basically grown up together,” Dakota said of Zeppelin during a June 2024 interview with TalkHouse. “He is extremely smart and sweet and perfect and soulful. He’s always been a very healing dog for people, so I made him a certified emotional support animal. Which is just the sweetest thing ever.”
Aw, I hear you girl about feeling like you need a long time to recover from the loss of a faithful pup. I was a sobbing mess last summer when I had to say goodbye to My Girl. Though she wasn’t a particularly loud lady, the apartment seemed unbearably quiet without her. I’ve truly come to believe that one of the best ways to honor the companion you’ve lost, is to welcome a new one in need. All that love needs a place to go! But it’s a very delicate, personal journey, and you feel out what’s right for you. I ended up only lasting two months before My Guy found me, and I’m thrilled for Dakota that she said yes to Tokyo, even if she hadn’t been planning on adopting just yet. I wonder when the podcast was recorded, though, because Dakota starts off by saying “We rescued her on Saturday,” and then minutes later when the conversation has moved on to something else, Dakota makes an offhand comment, “Chris said it’d be a great movie idea.” Hmmmm.
Tokyo is ADORABLE! And Kismet, loved all your dog comments. Sympathy on the loss of My Girl, and best wishes for many years of happiness with My Guy!
Some days I feel like I’d end up a crumbled ball in the corner if it wasn’t for my sweet Gracie. The best therapy ever.
Tokyo IS adorable 10/10 no notes for Tokyo – but did anyone else listen to/watch this interview and find it sort of bananas how unpleasant Dakota Johnson is? She came across as rude to Amy on multiple occasions which sort of blew my mind and then rude about her friend/acquaintance who selected a question to ask her. I don’t really understand her popularity when it feels like she’s consistently neither a good actor, nor a good interview, nor (seemingly) a very kind or relatable person. Tokyo is great though.
I listened to to about half of it. I think Dakota has a sort of dry sense of humor and is low-key snarky, but I wouldn’t say she reaches the level of being rude. Her personality isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. She’s not what you’d call sweet.
I didn’t think I could open myself up to another dog after Lulu’s death. Much less 5 months later. But Mila has brought so much joy and life back into the household I can’t imagine being without her. Tokyo seems very sweet.
Enjoy your furbaby Dakota! (So Chris was an arsehole?)
If you’ve lost your beloved companion and need support, check out aplb.org (the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement).
Always have more than one pet! If I didn’t have Little Dude when Clio died last year I would have crumbled to the floor and never moved again. Then LD stopped eating, because he always ate with Clio, and she was gone and he was confused. When I tried to adopt another cat the agency was like … but would you like TWO?! And that’s the story of why I now have three cats.
🙂💓. Poor you, poor LD! I’m glad you’ve got a little trio now~
Tokyo sure is a cutie. This is one of the few articles in which I’ve clicked through each & every photo–what an adorable pup!