EXCLUSIVE: Mario Lopez 'Lied Under Oath' About Being Served Lawsuit Papers By 'Flu Shot Cheerleader' in Ongoing Defamation Lawsuit
Mario Lopez was served legal papers outside his home.
Aug. 7 2025, Published 11:31 a.m. ET
The former NFL cheerleader suing Mario Lopez for defamation has claimed the Saved By the Bell star "lied under oath" during their contentious face-to-face showdown in court this week, RadarOnline.com can exclusively report.
Desiree Townsend, who was nicknamed the "Flu Shot Cheerleader" after an exposé on Inside Edition, has sued Lopez, the television show, and its parent company, Paramount, for more than $100million.
Townsend has said she asked Lopez to take down his comments.
Townsend blames Lopez for ruining her life and reputation by ridiculing her after sharing a long-forgotten video from the news program in which she claimed a seasonal flu shot left her with a rare neurological condition.
Since then, the now-paralegal has fought with the 51-year-old both in and out of court, starting with an exclusive video obtained by Radar of Townsend surprising the star at his home to personally serve him with a summons.
Earlier this week, Townsend and Lopez faced each other in court, as the Access Hollywood host requested the temporary restraining order he filed against her be made permanent.
However, after the hearing, Townsend told RadarOnline.com Lopez wasn't being truthful on the witness stand when asked about who else was seen in the video.
"He lied under oath, claiming he didn’t know who the two individuals were in the process serving video, even though he said earlier that his son and wrestling coach were present," Townsend insisted.
'You've Been Served'
The actor is accused of lying about those present when he was served court papers.
As seen in the video, Townsend served her lawsuit notice to the star in June and taped their interaction in a video that has since gone viral on its own.
In the clip, a shirtless Lopez can be seen in his front yard as an unknown person drops the summons behind the gate of the star.
Townsend can be heard taunting him: "You’ve been served, Mario," while telling her partner to drop the note on the ground.
"All right, lawsuit’s right there, Mario. You've been served. So, it’s there. Thank you. See you in court, Mario."
A perturbed Lopez can be heard calling her a "Crazy f------ b----" to which Townsend fired back: "Oh hey, Happy Father’s Day."
Restraining Order
The actor was granted a restraining order after she showed up unannounced at his home.
After their initial interaction, Lopez responded with legal action of his own, in the form of the restraining order request.
In court documents obtained by us, Lopez argued the need for a restraining order, alleging: "Mr. Lopez was harmed by the most recent harassment when Ms. Townsend arrived at his home on Father's Day with a process server, causing chaos and fear for his young children and family members who witnessed the event.
"She then escalated the harm by posting a video of the service on TikTok, exposing his family and home address to millions of viewers, placing them at risk of further harassment, public ridicule, and potential physical danger."
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Angry Encounter
The actor has been battling a defamation lawsuit served to him by Desiree Townsend.
However, Townsend told RadarOnline.com she was the one left feeling threatened after Lopez "completely lost it" on the witness stand during the hearing.
"He screamed, actually screamed, on the witness stand," Townsend recounted. "He was so 'pissed,' as he categorized it, that the judge had to calm him down.
"He had a full-blown outburst, yelling that I was 'crazy,' 'unhinged,' and a 'stalker.' And yes, he said all that while shouting."
We have reached out to Lopez and his attorney for comment. The hearing will resume later this week with Townsend taking the stand to undergo cross-examination by Lopez’s attorney.
