Was Tila Tequila Assaulted by Shawn Merriman of the San Diego Chargers?
After San Diego Chargers baller Shawne Merriman was arrested this weekend for allegedly assaulting and falsely imprisoning Tila Tequila (Tila Nguyen), his attorneys are speaking out. He was released later that day. Merriman’s attorney denied the allegations, saying more than a dozen other people were at Merriman’s house in suburban San Diego, California, at the time of the incident and “witness after witness after witness will back up his story 100 percent. According to CNN:
Deputies didn’t see any physical injuries on Nguyen, but she asked to be transported to a local hospital, sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said. Nguyen’s condition was not immediately known.
Merriman’s attorney, Todd Macaluso, told reporters that Nguyen was “extremely intoxicated and inebriated” and that the player tried to make arrangements for her to leave the house.
“At no time did Mr. Merriman assault her. At no time did Mr. Merriman keep her against her will,” Macaluso said. “His intentions were nothing but good. … We’re very confident that this matter will be resolved without any charges being filed whatsoever.”
Interesting that he says she was drunk since Tila is allergic to alcohol, or so She posted on Twitter:
Tila Tequilla Twitter Post Stating She's Allergic To Alcohol
Of course being allergic to alcohol and not drinking are still two different things. My friend is also allergic to alcohol. He is part Japanese and his face turns bright red whenever he drinks, but that’s my point… he still drinks. Being allergic never stopped him from drinking alcohol. After hanging with me he started to make a concious decision to not drink at every occasion and not drink as much when he decides to drink. But his allergy to alcohol was not a factor in the decision to not drink as much.
Now if she had said “I have to be rushed to the hospital every time a small ounce of alcohol touches my lips” then that would be something else. But I’d like to point out here that being allergic and avoiding all together are two different things. Abuse is not cool under any circumstances, but at the same time if alcohol was involved perspective and frame of mind can alter the reality of the situation for all parties involved. For all we know this could all be one big misunderstanding. He might of been drunk to a certain degree and thinking he was trying to help her and she might have thought he was being abusive. Who knows? Investigation hopefully will reveal the truth.
More on the story from CNN: — San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of choking and restraining MTV reality show star Tila Tequila, police said.
However, Merriman’s attorney denied the allegations, saying more than a dozen other people were at Merriman’s house in suburban San Diego, California, at the time of the incident and “witness after witness after witness will back up his story 100 percent.”
Authorities responded to a disturbance call about 3:45 a.m. Sunday from a woman who said she had been choked and restrained by a male, the sheriff’s department of San Diego County, California, said in a statement.
When police arrived, “the reporting party identified herself as Tila Nguyen, aka Tila Tequila, and her alleged assailant as Shawne Merriman,” the statement said.
“Nguyen told deputies she had been choked and physically restrained by Merriman when she attempted to leave his residence,” the statement said. Nguyen signed a citizen’s arrest at the scene, and Merriman was taken into custody on suspicion of battery and false imprisonment, according to the statement.
Deputies didn’t see any physical injuries on Nguyen, but she asked to be transported to a local hospital, sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said. Nguyen’s condition was not immediately known.
Merriman’s attorney, Todd Macaluso, told reporters that Nguyen was “extremely intoxicated and inebriated” and that the player tried to make arrangements for her to leave the house.
“At no time did Mr. Merriman assault her. At no time did Mr. Merriman keep her against her will,” Macaluso said. “His intentions were nothing but good. … We’re very confident that this matter will be resolved without any charges being filed whatsoever.”
Caldwell said alcohol “was involved” on Nguyen’s part. Caldwell didn’t elaborate.
Merriman was released from jail late Sunday morning. Caldwell said she didn’t know whether Merriman was released on bail or on his own recognizance. The district attorney’s office will determine whether criminal charges will be pursued, Caldwell said.
As Tila Tequila, Nguyen starred on the MTV reality shows “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila” in 2007 and “A Shot at Love 2 With Tila Tequila” in 2008.
On her Twitter account, Nguyen did not mention the incident but tweeted about going to meet Merriman on Saturday.
In a statement posted on the Chargers’ Web site Sunday, team General Manager A.J. Smith said it is “disappointing to hear about the issue involving Shawne Merriman… We’ll continue to monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course,” Smith said.
Merriman, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is entering his fifth year with the Chargers and the NFL. He recorded at least 10 sacks in each of his first three seasons, but he was limited to one game last season because of a knee injury that required surgery.
The Chargers begin their 2009 NFL regular-season campaign on September 14 in Oakland, California, for a game against the Raiders.
It’s really hard to tell what actually happened and the investigation is still pending.
However shots from the night show Tila having a good ol time stradling Shawne’s lap earlier in the night.
Still, whenever drugs or alcohol are involved things can get pretty messy fairly quickly.
Tila Tequila At Shawne Merriman's party
Tila Tequila Straddling Shawne Merriman's Lap Before Alleged Assault Incident
Tila Tequila Straddling Shawne Merriman's Lap Before the Alleged Assault
It’s possible things went awfully astray after these picture were captured
or it could also be that a few gestures may have been misconstrued by both parties.
Only Shawne and Tila may know the full truth. Sometimes it’s just a point of view,
it could be both parties see the incident with different eyes and different half truths.
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