LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — A Disney World employee has accused Shaquille O’Neal of grabbing her by the neck on the resort’s grounds and has filed a battery complaint against the NstBA star, authorities said today.
Kim Grant, the 23-year-old employee, was not injured. No charges have been filed and the offense would be a misdemeanor, said Deputy Miguel Pagan, a spokesman for the Orange County sheriff’s office.
Grant said she notified Disney security, but no report was filed. She said she also informed management at B.E.T. Soundstage, where she was approached by O’Neal and two men Oct. 5.
Grant said she was standing outside the entrance to B.E.T. Soundstage at Disney’s Pleasure Island when the 7-foot-1 player asked her name and inquired if she had friends.
The woman said she tried to end the conversation after O’Neal and the men told her they were “going to look for girls,” according to the complaint.
Grant told authorities that she told O’Neal, “Be my guest.” At that point, O’Neal grabbed her by the neck, pulled her to him and said, “I was just playing. Can’t you take a joke?” according to the complaint. O’Neal, she added, then held her by the arm and wouldn’t let go until she threatened to file charges.
O’Neal, who used to play for the Orlando Magic, owns a 27,000-square-foot home in Isleworth, a gated community outside Orlando.