HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Reality star Tila Tequila has filed a civil lawsuit against San Diego Chargers star Shawne Merriman, accusing him of assault, battery, false imprisonment and emotional distress.
The lawsuit stems from an early morning incident on Sept. 6 at the linebacker's home in Poway, Calif. Tequila, whose real name is Tila Nguyen, told authorities that the NFL star choked her and threw her to the ground when she attempted to leave his home around 3:45 a.m. She later signed a citizen's arrest warrant, charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment.
The San Diego District Attorney's office declined to press charges, saying there was "insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any crime was committed.''
Both sides engaged in a war of differing stories in the days following the incident. Merriman insisted that Tequila was intoxicated and he was simply trying to stop a friend from driving, while the MTV star claimed she was "allergic to alcohol" and was held against her will.
"There is only one reason why I was running for my life.....why was I stopped? Hmmm....maybe the truth didnt want to leave the house," she wrote her Twitter page.
The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, was first reported by TMZ.
Whose side do you believe? Click here to vote in our watercooler poll.
- Comment
