Shaquille O’Neal is apparently going gangsta on us, issuing directives to his henchmen to “shut a b—- up!” According to TMZ, Shaq conveyed the message, “dis da numba shut dat b—- up!” to a friend via text in reference to his harrasment accuser, Vanessa Lopez, who some are calling a “pretty basketball” for her willingness to be passed around by NBA players; she’s had run-ins with three others.
Lopez filed a harassment lawsuit against O’Neal in Florida for that and other alleged offenses against her.
Lopez’s lawsuit claims that she and Shaq were in a five-year relationship, but it went south after she missed her period and the gentle giant allegedly reacted by accusing her of sleeping with another guy.
TMZ says she claims to have ended the relationship, but then Shaq’s 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-8 sisters made verbal and physical threats against her.
In the complaint, Lopez asserts she was especially fearful of Shaq because he “is a large, powerful, wealthy man and a professional athlete” who has law enforcement connections and the right to bear arms. She also accused Shaq of hacking into her voice mail and text messages, using sophisticated software.
High-profile celebrity attorney Gloria Allred is repping Lopez, who is suing the basketball star for unspecified damages. –gerald radford
