Vanessa Lopez's Lawsuit Against Shaquille O'Neal - Claims Shaq's Family And Friends Threatened Her Too
Jan. 13 2010, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com has obtained the lawsuit filed against Shaquille O'Neal by Vanessa Lopez on Tuesday in a Florida court.
See Lopez's Lawsuit Against Shaquille O'Neal
RadarOnline.com was the first to report that Vanessa Lopez would be filing a suit against the basketball legend, who she claims she had a five year relationship with.
Lopez claims Shaq started harassing her shortly after she announced to him that she thought she was pregnant. Shaq initially accused her of sleeping with someone else, then when she broke off their relationship she claims the threats began.
VIDEO: Vanessa Lopez To Shaquille O'Neal: I Think I'm Pregnant
In the suit Lopez claims a number of scary incidents including a threatening text that Shaq allegedly sent to a friend of his saying, "dis is da numba shut dat bitch up!"
Lopez says the friend responded with a text saying, "consider it done famo." The friend then jumped on a plane to Orlando and allegedly texted Lopez before calling her on her cell, sounding "menacing and sinister."
In the papers Lopez claims that Shaq's family were in on the intimidation act too, making her fear for her safety. Lopez claims Shaq's 6'6" and 6'8" sisters made verbal and physical threats against her.
She claims O'Neal flooded her with phone and text messages all times of the night and day despite her requests for him to stop. She says that she even sent O'Neal a cease and desist letter - which she claims he ignored. She also claims Shaq would repeatedly call her and breath "heavily into the phone at all time of the night and day."
Lopez also asserts that O'Neal hacked into her voice mail and text messages using special equipment.
Lopez claims she was especially fearful of Shaq because "O'Neal is a large, powerful, wealthy man and a professional athlete" who has law enforcement connections and the right to bear arms.
She goes on to say that she has "a small build, weighing less than 100 pounds, and lacks the physical power, wealth and connections of O'Neal."
Lopez alleges that she and O'Neal would meet up "in Miami at the Loews Hotel, at The Ritz Carlton, at the Marriott in Lake Mary Florida amongst other locations to facilitate their trysts". She says everything had been set up by O'Neal in order for him to have these clandestine meetings with her.
She also states that she went to O'Neal's house on several occasions while his wife was away and that they were "intimate at these locations". She says all in all they were intimate at "least fifty times."
Lopez is suing for unspecified damages.
Lopez announced that she was filing against O'Neal during a press conference Tuesday. During the conference Lopez's attorney, Gloria Allred, revealed that in September 2009 “Ms. Lopez was late with her period and thought that she might be pregnant. She communicated this to Mr. O’Neal who responded by stating that she needed to tell the baby’s father and then went on to state that there was no way that the baby could be his.
“Mr. O’Neal knew that he and Ms. Lopez engaged in unprotected sex and that they had been together numerous times in the preceding months and that she had not been with anyone else during this period of time. She felt that his response was very disrespectful and she was deeply hurt and offended. Though he apologized to her for his reaction she told him that it was over and that she wanted him to leave her alone.”
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Allred claims that was when the harassment started. For her part Lopez said, “I was never afraid of Shaquille O’Neal until September 29, 2009. My life has changed so much because of what I have had to endure. I now fear someone is after me. I just want this to be over. I want to feel safe again.”
