‘I’m a very spiteful, vengeful person’: Woman warns Navy she won’t drop Blue Angels cat death lawsuit

A woman from Seattle is standing firm on her lawsuit against the U.S. Navy, claiming the noise and disruptions from the Blue Angels caused the death of her cat.

Lauren Ann Lombardi made it clear she isn’t scared to take on the government. During an exclusive interview on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, she didn’t flinch when KIRO host Spike O’Neill flooded her with questions like, “It’s the federal government,” and “How long can you keep this up? They’ll bleed you dry.”

“They will never be able to wait me out,” she calmly responded. “I’m a very spiteful, vengeful person. I have nothing but time on my hands.”

Lombardi insisted that the Blue Angels demonstrations over Seattle in 2023 and 2024 triggered severe panic attacks in her elderly pet, Layla. The cat began to suffer from having an elevated heart rate and extreme distress, eventually leading to euthanasia.

The lawsuit was filed by her attorney, Nacim Bouchtia, whom she’s also married to.

“Is that ethical?” KIRO host Jake Skorheim joked.

“Well, if the relationship starts before …” Bouchtia replied.

Much of the lawsuit centers on Lombardi’s claim that the Blue Angels blocked her on social media. After voicing her frustrations with an Instagram account and petition called “We All Want to Feel Safe: No More Blue Angels Over Seattle,” she claimed the official Blue Angels Instagram blocked her.

Woman seeking for Blue Angels to unblock her account

Lombardi is seeking a court order to unblock her account and prohibit the Blue Angels from blocking others based on their viewpoint.

Jake said that, based on a previous Supreme Court ruling — that public officials may block people on social media if it’s private, but if it’s in their official capacity, they may not — he believes Lombardi has a chance.

“I think you guys have a case, based on what you’re saying — but I hope you’re not successful,” Jake remarked. “What do you want from the Blue Angels? What are you guys seeking in this? What damages have been done to you?”

“There’s a difference between damages done and also what we can legally recover,” Bouchtia responded. “We can’t make them stop flying, at least not through this lawsuit, but we can make them unblock Lauren so that she can voice her complaints however she pleases.”

“I assume this goes to a judge?” Jake said.

“Maybe, I mean, the facts are so straightforward, I don’t see why they would want to go to a judge, but let’s say, unless they like being spanked,” Bouchtia replied.

When asked if Bouchtia would have to prove that Lombardi’s complaints on social media would have stopped the Blue Angels from performing, Bouchtia responded, “No, we don’t have to prove that. All we have to prove is that they blocked her. Period.”

Lawsuit also asks Blue Angels to undergo First Amendment training

Jake then asked if the two were seeking money.

“We’re leaving that up to the court for now,” Bouchtia said. “So whatever the judge deems appropriate, but in terms of injunctive relief, which is the judge forcing the Blue Angels to do something, we want them to unblock Lauren, and we want them to take remedial First Amendment training so that they can honor the values that their service represents.”

Bouchtia and Lombardi dismissed any notion that they were worried people would view the lawsuit as frivolous.

“Because it’s not,” Bouchtia quipped. “I mean, yeah, they can be wrong. I don’t care about the opinions of ignorant people.”

“The thing is, a lot of other people are affected,” Lombardi chimed in. “Like, there are people who have been sharing their stories, very similar stories, where their animals have also died.”

“Is that proven?” Jake pushed back.

Bouchtia said that he and Lombardi cited studies that show a negative impact on wildlife caused by the Blue Angels.

One study in their lawsuit estimated that more than 74,000 Puget Sound residents have been exposed to noise levels high enough to cause health issues when the Blue Angels perform overhead. Another study pointed to evidence that such noise disrupts the behavior of marine life, including endangered orcas.

But, in terms of her own cat, Lombardi said Layla was like her child.

“She was my child. I mean, I don’t have human children. A lot of people don’t have human children for many different reasons. She was like my child to me,” Lombardi shared. “I treated her like my child her whole life, and there was no difference to me.”

Cat euthanized shortly after Blue Angels’ performance

Layla was euthanized around a week after the Blue Angels’ performance.

“Would she have had to have been euthanized even if the Blue Angels didn’t perform?” Jake asked. “You said she had a congestive heart issue.”

“It’s possible,” Bouchtia said. “It definitely didn’t help. That’s all we can say.”

Listen to the full conversation below.

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