EXCLUSIVE: 'Flu Shot Cheerleader' Files Appeal Against Mario Lopez Restraining Order After Judge Dismisses Defamation Charges... And The TV Star's Lawyers Have Harsh Response
Desiree Townsend has followed through on her vow to appeal Mario Lopez's restraining order.
Oct. 6 2025, Published 3:54 p.m. ET
The former NFL cheerleader, who had her defamation lawsuit against Mario Lopez thrown out by a judge, has officially appealed a restraining order granted against her by the former Saved By the Bell star, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
The actor's lawyers don't seem too worried about Desiree Townsend's latest salvo, which she says could come back to haunt them.
Lopez celebrated after a judge dismissed her defamation charges against him.
A judge granted Lopez’s request to strike all the claims she brought against him. But Townsend is pressing on against the 51-year-old.
"It’s on to the appellate courts now," she exclusively told Radar. "This is where real change happens and where case law is shaped."
The so-called "Flu Shot Cheerleader", who confronted Lopez outside his home after he shared an Instagram post critical of her mental health, is now challenging his restraining order against her, which forces her to stay at least 100 yards away from the Access Hollywood host and his family.
"Right now, my focus is on appealing the restraining order decision," she continued. "One of the grounds for the appeal is that the anti-SLAPP motion was never properly heard, and Mario’s team presented no opposition evidence."
Last week, that's exactly what she did, filing an "Appeal from an order granting a civil harassment restraining order."
Townsend Isn't Laughing
Lopez filed a restraining order after Townsend served him with legal papers on Father's Day.
However, after sending notice of the appeal to Lopez and his attorneys, Townsend said their response seemed to mock her openly.
Attorney Daniel Tapetillo of famed law firm Geragos & Geragos replied with just the "laughing face" emoji.
Townsend said the terse message only makes her case stronger: "If anything, that response underscores my position that the restraining order was never about genuine safety concerns or legal merit, but rather a public relations tactic.
"After all, if the order had substantive weight, it’s hard to imagine anyone treating an appeal with such levity."
Townsend's 'Ruined' Reputation
Townsend slammed the actor and his attorneys.
Townsend had sued Lopez, his employer NBC, Inside Edition, and even the actor's own legal team – demanding $150million in damages.
She stated from the start that her name and reputation were dragged through the mud after the star shared an old Inside Edition story about her on Instagram while captioning his post: "There’s gotta be some kind of award for this performance," and adding the hashtags #MethodActor and #OscarWorthy.
Lopez maintained that anything he said is covered by free speech and granted his anti-SLAPP motion, which allows a judge to quickly dismiss lawsuits filed against public figures for just that reason.
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Lopez Speaks Out
Lopez and his wife Courtney spoke about the lawsuit on their radio program.
After refusing to comment on the case for months, Lopez breathed a sigh of relief on his radio show, calling the whole ordeal "unusual."
"It was an absolutely ridiculous lawsuit, but nonetheless, you kind of have to deal with it," he said on On with Mario Lopez.
He then gave a special shout-out to his defense team, and celebrated his win without ever mentioning Townsend's name.
"A judge has officially thrown it out and rewarded me victory," Lopez declared. "And now this person is responsible for my legal fees and hopefully out of our lives forever."
His radio co-host and wife, Courtney, had her say as well, admitting: "It was stressful because it was just so unnecessary that we were even dealing with something like this."
