How a stuffed blue bunny got caught in the Max Miller feud

Senate How a stuffed blue bunny got caught in the Max Miller feud Comments: by Tara Suter - 08/06/26 3:31 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Tara Suter - 08/06/26 3:31 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) is fending off mounting calls for his resignation over allegations of domestic violence against his ex-wife and daughter.

Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), has made accusations that Miller held a gun to her head and broke their two-year-old daughter’s collarbone, among other abuses that the congressman has denied.

She has also accused him of emotional abuse, with one particular claim coming into the spotlight this week: that Miller refused to hand over his daughter’s favorite blue stuffed bunny doll.

Bernie Moreno, who had remained silent about his daughter’s custody dispute for weeks, called for Miller’s resignation this week. He told reporters on Tuesday about the blue bunny dispute when explaining his anger toward his former son-in-law.

The elder Moreno said that his daughter lives “in constant fear of” Miller, adding that when his granddaughter was staying with him, she would cry during the night due to not having her little blue bunny.

“Max would not hand over the little blue bunny,” Moreno said. “Literally held it hostage for 48 hours. This girl is crying at night because she can’t sleep without her little blue bunny. And his answer is, ‘I’m just not going to give it to you.’ So finally, yesterday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, yesterday, he lets the little blue bunny go. This is the level of total and complete depravity.”

Miller on Tuesday denied the story during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.

In a clip posted Tuesday on the social platform X, Moreno responded to Miller’s comments on CNN by stating that he has “receipts.”

“It took five lawyers to get the blue bunny back, 48 hours later” Moreno added.

Mother Jones reporter Abby Vesoulis shared screenshots on Tuesday showing text and email conversations “suggesting there was a pattern of Miller not giving the bunny back.” One of those messages is from a “parenting coordinator” on an unknown date, Vesoulis reported.

“I’m not coddling him, I advised him to Let your dad get the bunny from Preferably from the The mailbox but he adamantly refuses but I’ve suggested you keep the bunny at your house to Avoid these situations because unfortunately in a high conflict divorce these situations blow up Often,” the text says.

Another message from Emily Moreno’s lawyer, with the child’s name redacted, says: “For no apparent reason, Max is not returning REDACTED’S blue bunny to Emily. Dr. REDACTED tried to get the blue bunny back. Dr. K made clear that despite her recommendation that the blue bunny stay with Emily, Max refuses to return it. Why must this be a controversy? This is totally ridiculous. Please have Max return the bunny forthwith.”

In another series of messages, Bernie Moreno and Miller directly discuss getting the bunny.

“Evidently I was supposed to get REDACTED’S blue bunny at pick up. She’s asking for it. Do you have it by any chance?” Moreno writes.

“You can go through the parent coordinator. I’m sure l’ll see this one at the next hearing. If you need anything, have Emily call Dr. REDACTED. I have no notes or record of what you’re referring to,” Miller responds.

“It’s the blue bunny she sleeps with, but got it,” Moreno replies.

Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) responded to Vesoulis’s thread on Thursday in his own post, saying, “What kind of person would treat their daughter this way?”

“This guy is clearly a degenerate sociopath. Max should step aside and seek help. Staying in this race makes it far more likely we lose this seat and hand Democrats a majority to impeach President Trump,” he added.

Miller dropped his own screenshots Wednesday in a post on X in which he slammed his ex-wife’s father, telling the senator to “please stop the lies.”

“As everyone can see in the below screenshots, mine and your daughter’s parenting coordinator reached about the bunny asking if you can come pick it up from me after she forgot it at my house. I said sure,” Miller said in his post.

“Then, a man who is not on our approved list reaches out to me offering to come to my house to get the bunny, to which I said it was inappropriate of him to insert himself in family business and that I was waiting for you, @berniemoreno, like we agreed upon,” he added.