  A recent study found dynamical evidence of a supermassive black hole of $\sim
3 \times 10^{6} \, \rm M_\odot$ at the center of Leo I, the most distant dwarf
spheroidal galaxy of the Milky Way. This black hole, comparable in mass to the
Milky Way's Sgr A*, places the system $>2$ orders of magnitude above the
standard $M_\bullet-M_{\star}$ relation. We investigate the possibility, from a
dynamical standpoint, that Leo I's stellar system was originally much more
massive and, thus, closer to the relation. Extreme tidal disruption from one or
two close passages within the Milky Way's virial radius could have removed most
of its stellar mass. A simple analytical model suggests that the progenitor of
Leo I could have experienced a mass loss in the range of $32\% - 57\%$ from a
single pericenter passage, depending on the stellar velocity dispersion
estimate. This mass loss percentage increases to the range $66\% - 78\%$ if the
pericenter occurs at the minimum distance allowed by current orbital
reconstructions. Detailed N-body simulations show that the mass loss could
reach $\sim 90\%$ with up to two passages, again with pericenter distances
compatible with the minimum value allowed by Gaia data. Despite very
significant uncertainties in the properties of Leo I, we reproduce its current
position and velocity dispersion, as well as the final stellar mass enclosed in
$1$ kpc ($\sim 5\times 10^6 \, \rm M_\odot$) within a factor $< 2$. The most
recent tidal stream is directed along our line of sight toward Leo I, making it
difficult to detect. Evidence from this extreme tidal disruption event could be
present in current Gaia data in the form of extended tidal streams.
