Mario Lopez reportedly lashed out at former NFL cheerleader Desiree Townsend during a recent court hearing to request a permanent restraining order against her.
The TV personality was sued in June by Townsend over claims of orchestrating a smear campaign against her when he reposted an old, humiliating video of her. Townsend is expected to take the stand later this week, where she will be cross-examined as part of Lopez's ongoing effort to secure the restraining order.
Desiree Townsend is also requesting $25 million in her case against Mario Lopez and has expressed her surprise that the actor sought a restraining order.
The Actor Called The Cheerleader' Crazy,' 'Unhinged,' And A 'Stalker'
In an interview with Radar Online, Desiree Townsend shared a shocking account of what allegedly unfolded during a recent court hearing over Mario Lopez's attempt to secure a permanent restraining order against her.
Townsend and Lopez are currently locked in a $25 million defamation battle, which she initiated in June.
In response, Lopez filed for a temporary restraining order and appeared in court this week seeking to make it permanent.
According to Townsend, the entire courtroom turned chaotic when Lopez took the witness stand during the hearing.
She claimed that Lopez "completely lost it" and was screaming, an outburst she said left her feeling threatened and shaken.
"He screamed, actually screamed, on the witness stand," Townsend recalled to the news outlet. "He was so 'p-ssed' as he categorized it that the judge had to calm him down."
She further noted that Lopez "had a full-blown outburst," adding that he called her "crazy," "unhinged," and a "stalker."
Why Desiree Townsend Filed A Lawsuit Against Mario Lopez
In 2024, Lopez shared a throwback clip of the ex-cheerleader-turned-paralegal on Instagram, sarcastically writing, "There's gotta be some kind of award for this performance," while adding the hashtags #MethodActor and #OscarWorthy.
In the over 15-year-old clip, Townsend appeared to slur her speech and dance erratically in front of the camera.
She later explained to an outlet, Inside Edition, that her behavior was due to a rare neurological condition, dystonia.
The cheerleader reportedly developed the ailment after taking a seasonal flu shot at the time.
After the video went viral following Lopez's repost, Townsend filed a lawsuit against him, accusing the TV host of using a false statement that severely harmed both her personal and professional reputation.
The Cheerleaders Claimed She Suffered 'Harassment' Due To Mario Lopez's Actions
According to reports, Townsend also alleged that she suffered "emotional distress" and "online harassment" due to the remark.
She deemed it as dehumanizing and defaming to "a woman living with a rare neurological disability."
"The timing, tone, and scale of the attack support a reasonable inference that Lopez is familiar with deploying reputational warfare as a tool of intimidation, particularly when facing potential exposure," Townsend mentioned in her lawsuit.
Mario Lopez Filed For A Restraining Order Against Desiree Townsend After She Served Him Court Papers
Instead of sending a process server alone to deliver court papers to Lopez, Townsend chose to accompany the server during the delivery.
She later shared a video of the tense encounter with Radar Online, which showed her telling a shirtless Lopez, "You've been served" and "See you in court" as the process server placed the documents in the front yard of his home.
Lopez, upset by the unexpected confrontation at his residence, responded by obtaining a temporary restraining order before moving forward with a request for a permanent one.
He claimed in court documents that he was "harmed" by the interaction with Townsend and that she caused "chaos and fear for his young children and family members who witnessed the event."
Lopez also accused Townsend of escalating the harm by sharing on social media a video of her serving him, which exposed his personal address to the world and placed him and his family at "risk of further harassment, public ridicule, and potential physical danger."
The Cheerleader Says She Was Surprised The Actor Filed A Restraining Order
In her interview with Radar, Townsend also revealed that she was surprised by the restraining order and called it a "clickbait tactic" that will ultimately "backfire" on Lopez.
"I truly don't understand what he's thinking," she told the news outlet. "He's escalating this into a public spectacle when it could have been resolved quietly through civil litigation.
The former cheerleader added, "Filing for a restraining order feels like a clickbait tactic, and from both a PR and legal standpoint, it's likely to backfire. Especially when the very behavior he's calling 'harassment' is precisely what he did to me."
Later this week, Townsend is expected to face cross-examination when the hearing for Lopez's request for a permanent restraining order resumes.
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