Just when Shaquille O’Neal was getting comfortable in Boston and checking out the scene as a Celtic, his offseason now has a bit of downer because of a lawsuit from an ex-employee. According to RadarOnline.com, ex-employee Shawn Darling is suing Shaq claiming that the NBA star stole personal information and tried to frame him using child pornography.
Now, why would Shaq want to do this to one of his ex-employees?
According to the suit, Darling worked for Shaq from 2007-2009 as a computer consultant. During this time, Darling set up email, phone, and other accounts in his name so that Shaq could keep in touch with his various mistresses. Apparently Darling kept track all of the emails, text messages, and pictures that were exchanged between Shaq and his mistresses.
One of the mistresses, Vanessa Lopez, told Darling that she believed Shaq was trying to break into her voicemail messages. Darling apparently found out that Shaq was breaking into her voicemail and for some reason told her about it. Lopez, who was already suing Shaq for harassment, added that tidbit of info to the lawsuit, saying Darling was going behind Shaq’s back giving her info.
Apparently this set Shaq off, threatening Darling with violence, break into his voicemail and have child pornography put on Darlings computer so that it would be confiscated by Shaq’s Arizona law enforcement buddies and in turn, Shaq could get the info off the computer that Darling was feeding to Lopez.
When Darling found this out, he threatened Shaq saying he had emails, texts and pictures that could expose him as the adulterer he is. Darling asked for $12 million to keep quiet. When Shaq refused, Darling filed the lawsuit. Of course, Shaq and his legal team are denying all the accusations and are trying to get the case dismissed.
“Even if everything he was saying were true, we believe there is no basis in the law to bring the case,” Shaq’s attorney Ben Reid told CNN. “But in this case, none of it’s true.”
Regardless, Darling and his team will keep fighting.
“I don’t need anyone to take my client’s word for it. I have the evidence: Text messages from Shaq, e-mails complaining about how my client is going to ruin him, ” Darling attorney Menachem Mayberg told CNN. “Anyone who says the evidence is not there, he’ll eat those words.”
There’s no word on when the case will go to trial
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