The Rich and Famous Go to Court

Gloria Allred, attorney to just about every media whore ever created, announced today that Vanessa Lopez is filing a lawsuit against Shaquille O’Neal in Florida. Lopez claims she was in a relationship with Shaq for five years and that he repeatedly harassed her when she tried to break it off.

Lopez says she “fears that someone is after her … I want to feel safe again.”

Back in 2007, Lopez reported to Lake Mary, Florida police that she was being harassed by the brother of another basketball player and former boyfriend, J.J. Redick. Police indicated that David Redick called Lopez and said he would leave her alone “when she leaves J.J. alone.”

Back in 2006, then-Boston Celtics player Delonte West called hotel security on Lopez, claiming she refused to leave his Orlando hotel room. Police were called to the room — where Lopez, according to the police report, then accused West of making unwanted sexual advances toward her.

West acknowledged that he had slept with Lopez in the past — but claimed he never hit on her that night. West said Lopez tried to seduce him — but he rejected her because he had another woman coming over. Police ultimately removed Lopez from the premises.

In 2007, Lopez reportedly had a one-night stand with another NBA star, Kenyon Martin. She then allegedly rifled through his wallet and used his credit card to purchase several thousands of dollars of clothing without Martin’s permission.

Shaq is in the midst of a divorce. Shocking.

Nearly three years after a former Miss Washington USA claimed she was raped by David Copperfield on his private island in the Bahamas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington filed documents Tuesday stating they are essentially dropping the case.

Prosecutors offered no explanation as to what they found during their investigation or why the case has been dropped. No charges were ever filed against Copperfield. Representatives for the magician have alleged that the woman was untruthful, and that he never forced himself on her.

“We filed a notice today that we had terminated the grand jury inquiry,” Emily Langlie, a U.S. Attorney’s Office spokeswoman.

The victim has also filed a civil lawsuit against the magician. That case was filed last July and put on hold two months ago to allow the criminal investigation to run its course. The investigation went public over two years ago, when law enforcement officials conducted searches at Copperfield’s property warehouse and magic museum in Las Vegas.

The closing of the criminal investigation does not necessarily mean the end of a civil lawsuit – although it certainly weakens the plaintiff’s case. Criminal court and civil court use two different legal standards – “beyond a reasonable doubt” is a much higher hurdle to clear than “preponderance of the evidence”, which basically means that the jury must believe that it is more likely than not that defendant did whatever the plaintiff alleges.

We shall see…

Current Incubus DJ Chris Kilmore sought a restraining order against the former DJ for Incubus Gavin Koppell this week. Kilmore says that Koppell is still bitter that he was replaced in the band.

According to court documents filed last week in L.A. County Superior Court, Kilmore says Koppell threatened to kill him last month over something that happened in 2003. Kilmore obtained a restraining order against Koppel back in 2003 after Koppell allegedly spit in Kilmore’s face.

Kilmore replaced Koppell in the band in 1998.

Kilmore now alleges that Koppell approached him in a store and said, “You will get killed if you don’t lift that order … people get killed in the street for that.” Kilmore also claims Koppell, “asked me to fight him right there and raised his fists to me.”

According to the restraining order, Koppell has been ordered to stay at least 100 yards from Kilmore and his girlfriend.

Lisa Marie Presley’s former nanny, Christine White, has dropped her lawsuit against Elvis’ daughter. White sued Presley back in August, claiming that she was forced to work unreasonable hours without breaks.

Presley filed a counterclaim in the suit, claiming that White breached a confidentiality clause in their employment contract by photographing and videotaping Presly’s twin babies.

The case was dismissed today, which generally indicates a settlement of some sort. No one’s lawyers are talking, which again points to a confidential settlement.

Presley herself characterized White’s lawsuit as greed and revenge.

Former NBA star Jayson Williams shot and killed his driver Costas Christofi back in 2002. He was eventually tried for reckless manslaughter but the case ended in a hung jury. Retrial was pending.

This morning, Williams went to court and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated assault. He apparently agreed to serve at least 18 months in prison.

The plea seems like a good idea for all (save Christofi and his surviving family, I guess). Prosecutors didn’t have a bang-up case, as evidenced by the hung jury last time around. This way, they got a conviction for something, a little culpability.

And Williams has been spiraling out of control for a while. In the last year alone, he was tasered by cops after destroying a hotel room while allegedly suicidal; faced divorce court; was arrested for a bar fight in North Carolina and was, most recently, charged with DUI.

It was time for Williams for stop running from his problems.

Redmond O’Neal, son of Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal, was taken into police custody at a Dec. 29 hearing for an alleged drug-related probation violation, his lawyer confirmed Tuesday. O’Neal had been undergoing in-patient rehab since September.

At a hearing Tuesday, Judge Michael Tynan ordered Redmond, 24, into a 30-day jail rehab facility pending a Feb. 2 progress report.

“It seems to me you haven’t got a clue as to what recovery means,” Judge Tynan lectured. “It’s a lifetime commitment. It’s grinding, hard, painful work.”

Redmond O’Neal told the court via letter that his relapse was related to family issues.

Despite his latest arrest, Redmond’s lawyer Richard Pintal said he was “confident” he could keep his client out of prison. The younger O’Neal has been arrested multiple times for drug charges over the years.

Former NBA star Jayson Williams was arrested on suspicion of DWI early this morning — after his SUV struck a tree in Manhattan around 3:15 AM.

Williams, whose vehicle careened into a tree just off the 20th Street exit of FDR Drive, was in the passenger seat of his black Mercedes when cops arrived on scene — but witnesses say he was driving and officers said no one else was in the car.

Jayson was taken to Bellevue Hospital with minor injuries. Williams is currently in the midst of a divorce and is awaiting retrial for the 2002 manslaughter shooting death of his driver.

A Washington DC grand jury will apparently decide if NBA star Gilbert Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton will be charged with crimes for their alleged Christmas eve locker room confrontation, which allegedly involved handguns.

Arenas and Crittenton are being interviewed by law enforcement. The prosecutor will then call the Wizards’ coach and a member of the Verizon Center security staff, as well as investigating officers to testify before a federal grand jury. After considering the evidence, the grand jury will decide whether to charge either or both players.

Charges could include weapons charges and assault. Both players have denied that the incident was serious.

Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch is being sued by a woman who claims he ran her over in a drunk hit-and-run back in 2008.

Kimberly Shpeley filed suit in Erie County, New York, alleging that Lynch was drunk while driving his Porsche Cayenne in Buffalo at 3:30 AM on May 31, 2008 and that struck her as she was attempting to cross the street.

Lynch was not charged with DUI but pleaded guilty to “failure to exercise due care toward a pedestrian”, paying a $100 fine. Shpeley claims severe personal injuries and unspecified monetary damages.