Lawyers representing plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against celebrity FTX endorsers claimed they repeatedly tried and failed to serve NBA legend Shaquille O’ Neal with court papers.
The crypto exchange FTX had no larger celebrity endorsement than that of famed basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, who promoted the company through commercials and events, and is now being sued for his alleged role in persuading customers to invest with FTX.
But the former Los Angeles Lakers star, who once partnered with FTX “to help make crypto more accessible for everyone,” has made himself inaccessible to being served with the FTX lawsuit, attorneys said in emails reviewed by Forbes.
O’Neal was named in a class-action suit filed last November in a Florida federal district court by Oklahoma resident and FTX retail investor Edwin Garrison, who claimed he opened an account with the exchange after “being exposed to” celebrity endorsements. Other defendants include FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Giselle Bündchen, Tom Brady, Larry David and Stephen Curry.
“We have spent great efforts (4 different service companies) trying to get you all served with our Complaint,” Garrison’s lawyers David Boies and Adam Moskowitz wrote in an email to defendants on Tuesday. “Only one, however, has chosen to evade service, in order to draw out these proceedings, or to otherwise attempt to avoid answering for these allegations.”
Over the past month, the 7-foot-1-inch tall athlete has allegedly hidden inside his home when process servers appeared at his door with court papers. The lawyers also claimed to have contacted O’Neal’s last known litigation counsel to no avail. Boies and Moskowitz did not respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for O’Neal has not yet replied to a request for comment. During its heyday as one of the world’s largest exchanges with an estimated value of $32 billion, FTX found no shortage of celebrities willing to hype its services and appear alongside Bankman-Fried, who is now facing 12 criminal charges including fraud and money laundering (he has pleaded not guilty). Supermodel Bündchen lent her face to a series of billboards, and comedian David starred in a 2022 Super Bowl ad.
O’Neal himself hosted a carnival event last February called “Shaq’s Fun House Los Angeles Presented by FTX,” which featured rapper Lil Wayne and DJ Diplo. He also promoted FTX in a series of bullish crypto tweets, and in June debuted as an official FTX brand ambassador, announcing in a commercial: “I’m all in. Are you?”
