…Researched and contributed by Henry George.
The Moskowitz Law Firm, which represents victims of the FTX collapse, has publicly appealed to NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal to accept their legal complaint after multiple unsuccessful attempts to serve him.
The law firm has been standing outside O’Neal’s TNT studios in Atlanta “all week” to serve him on behalf of FTX investors in relation to his previous endorsement of the now-defunct crypto exchange, but O’Neal’s security guards have reportedly not let them in.
O’Neal is the only one among the “FTX celebrities” who has not yet been served.
The law firm has stated that O’Neal should show “courtesy and honor” by allowing their process servers to deliver the legal complaint on his behalf on April 15, so he can defend himself in the matter.
This comes after an April 7 court filing stated that plaintiffs have made numerous attempts in various locations to serve O’Neal, but have been unsuccessful.
Threatening Message Sent to Legal Courier
According to the court filing, the legal courier in Texas received a threatening message after making the “eighth most recent attempt” to serve O’Neal at his Texas residence.
The message mentioned O’Neal’s wife and stated, “shaq lives in the Bahamas u stupid fuck give beth shaw my regards.”
Plaintiffs to Contact O’Neal via Social Media
The plaintiffs stated that it is “finally time” to start attempting to contact O’Neal via other means, such as “direct messages to his verified social media accounts,” according to the court filing.
U.S. District judge Kevin Moore is considering dismissing both O’Neal and tennis athlete Naomi Osaki from the lawsuit, after pointing out it is unclear whether the two had been served.
Commentary
This situation highlights the difficulties that can arise when trying to serve legal papers to high-profile individuals.
Despite numerous attempts by the plaintiffs to serve Shaquille O’Neal, they have been unsuccessful, with his security guards reportedly not allowing them access.
The threatening message sent to the legal courier in Texas further demonstrates the challenges involved in serving legal papers.
It remains to be seen whether O’Neal will accept the legal complaint or if the plaintiffs will have to continue attempting to serve him via other means.
The fact that the U.S. District judge is considering dismissing O’Neal from the lawsuit due to uncertainty over whether he has been served shows the importance of proper service in legal proceedings.
Overall, this case highlights the potential risks for celebrities who endorse cryptocurrency exchanges and the legal repercussions that can arise from such endorsements.