EXCLUSIVE: Mario Lopez's Huge Court Victory — Judge Dismisses All Charges Filed by 'Flu Shot Cheerleader' Against Actor... After She Accused Him of Defamation and 'Orchestrating Campaign of Terror'
Charges of Defamation Desiree Townsend filed against Mario Lopez have been dismissed.
Sept. 29 2025, Published 7:51 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can exclusively report the charges of defamation a former NFL cheerleader filed against Mario Lopez have been dismissed with prejudice.
The former Saved By the Bell star had been battling Desiree Townsend in court after he shared a social media post featuring the so-called "Flu Shot Cheerleader."
Lopez had maintained his statements were free speech.
Townsend had sued Lopez, his employer NBC, Inside Edition and even the actor's own legal team – demanding $150million in damages.
She has stated from the start that her name and reputation were dragged through the mud after Lopez, 51, 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 has maintained that anything he said is covered by free speech and filed an anti-SLAPP motion, which allows a judge to quickly dismiss lawsuits filed against public figures for just that reason.
Late last week, that's exactly what a judge did.
Lopez Off The Hook
Radar has obtained the court order.
In court documents obtained by Radar, the judge in the case granted Lopez’s anti-SLAPP motion in full, striking all claims brought against him. He is also now entitled to make Townsend pay his legal fees.
Holly Baird, a representative of the law firm Geragos & Geragos, which represents Lopez, told Radar in a statement:
"The Court ruled that Lopez’s Instagram post –reposting a 2010 Inside Edition video with a caption – was protected free speech on a matter of public interest and constituted non-actionable opinion, not defamation."
She added: "This ruling reinforces California’s strong protections for free expression."
Freedom of Speech Argument
Lopez was served legal papers on Father's Day.
The Access Hollywood host has long contended that anything he said was protected by the Constitution.
His attorneys argued in previous court documents: "Defendant alleges that any representations or omissions alleged in the Complaint were protected by Defendant’s First Amendment Rights to Freedom of Speech."
It continued: "Defendant’s statements were purely opinions, and not statements of fact, and no reasonable person who heard the statements would have interpreted them as anything but opinions."
Restraining Order and Video
He later was granted a restraining order from her.
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Lopez and Townsend have traded blows for months now, after the paralegal surprised the Access Hollywood host at his home to serve him with legal papers.
RadarOnline.com previously shared a video Townsend made accompanying a process server to Lopez's home to present him with the defamation lawsuit.
The Access Hollywood host responded with legal action of his own, in the form of a restraining order.
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."
According to the restraining order, Townsend must stay at least 100 yards away from the actor and his family until February 2027.
