The former NFL cheerleader who sued Mario Lopez for defamation has vowed to press on, RadarOnline.com can report, after a judge dismissed her claims against the actor.
Desiree Townsend told RadarOnline.com she will file appeals and is still pursuing other avenues against him.
The former NFL cheerleader plans to appeal and still challenge Lopez.
Late last week, a judge granted Lopez’s anti-SLAPP motion in full, striking all claims brought against him. He is also now entitled to make Townsend pay his legal fees.
However, Townsend is keeping her spirits up and looks forward to her next day in court.
“It’s on to the appellate courts now!” she declared. “This is where real change happens and where case law is shaped.”
But first, Townsend will turn her attention to the restraining order Lopez was granted against her, keeping her at least 100 yards away from him and his family.
“Right now, my focus is on appealing the restraining order decision,” she continued. “One of the grounds for the appeal is that the anti-SLAPP motion was never properly heard, and Mario’s team presented no opposition evidence.”
Desiree Townsend Strikes Back Against Lopez
The star had said from the start his words were protected by free speech.
Townsend took special umbrage at Lopez’s legal representation.
She explained: “His attorneys couldn’t answer basic questions, like why he posted the video in the first place or how it related to any public controversy about vaccines or the flu in the middle of June.
“They even went so far as to complain on the record that I need to stop making fun of Geragos & Geragos on TikTok and ‘warned’ the court they might sue me.”
In a statement to RadarOnline.com, attorneys Alexandra Kazarian and Daniel JV Tapetillo said they just want to put this whole saga behind them: “We are hopeful this complete dismissal of her lawsuit coming on the heels of the Restraining Order against this woman will end her fixation and obsession with our client.”
Lopez’s Freedom of Speech
Lopez filed a restraining order after Townsend served him with legal papers.
Lopez has maintained that anything he said is covered by free speech and filed the anti-SLAPP motion, which allows a judge to quickly dismiss lawsuits filed against public figures for just that reason.
His attorneys argued in previous court documents: “Defendant alleges that any representations or omissions alleged in the Complaint were protected by Defendant’s First Amendment Rights to Freedom of Speech.”
It continued: “Defendant’s statements were purely opinions, and not statements of fact, and no reasonable person who heard the statements would have interpreted them as anything but opinions.”
Townsend Wants To ‘Create Change’
Townsend hopes to leave a lasting legacy in Hollywood.
After initially filing a $10million individual lawsuit against Lopez, Townsend soon upped the ante to $25million.
Then she added Lopez’s law firm Geragos & Geragos to her complaint, and bumped her demands to $50million in damages.
But Townsend had pledged to give any award to the Women In Media charity, which promotes gender balance in the film and entertainment industries. For her, this battle was about more than making a quick buck.
“My hope is that these cases will leave a lasting legacy and set important precedent for people in California and beyond,” she shared. “A trial court win would have only benefitted me personally, but as I’ve said before, these cases were never about money; they’re about creating change.”
