Retired NBA center headed to court to fight lawsuit.
Shaquille O’Neal is accused of having his sister make threatening phone calls to his ex-girlfriend, telling her to “watch her back.” According to Radaronline, Vanessa Lopez slapped Shaq with a lawsuit this past July in Orange County, Florida, claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault. Lopez says the retired NBA center started harassing her shortly after she told him she thought she was pregnant.
Lopez said that after O’Neal initially accused her of cheating on him, she broke off their relationship. Afterward, according to Lopez, Shaq began to threaten her. Shaq attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, but his motion was denied.
In court documents, Lopez said "Shaquille O'Neal arranged for his sister, Ayesha Harrison, to call and threaten me. She told me to watch my back because they know where I live and said they would disseminate lies about me on the Internet.” Lopez asserts that she now lives in fear and has concern for her own safety. “I now have extreme anxiety because of Shaquille O'Neal's campaign to intimidate and silence me.”
Her attorneys, Gloria Allred and Nathan Goldberg, are asking that the trial, which is set for March 25, 2013, be televised. Both O'Neal and Lopez are expected to testify.
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(Photo: Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup)
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