TMZ: Judge Orders Paul Pierce to Pay $100K to Security Guard He Called 'Racist'
December 9, 2019Former NBA star Paul Pierce was ordered to pay $100,000 to a security guard as a result of a lawsuit claiming defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to TMZ Sports.
The initial incident occurred in 2018 during a UFC fight between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Pierce was caught on video getting agitated during an argument with security guard Christopher Mostello, calling him a "racist."
Mostello claimed he was only doing his job and his reputation took a hit from the viral story, leading to the lawsuit.
As the lawsuit alleges, Pierce had gotten physical with a female security supervisor who was questioning if he had a ticket, per TMZ. Mostello said he simply intervened to try to help the situation.
The case went to a judge, who ordered a default judgement after Pierce refused to respond to the lawsuit.
The ESPN analyst will now have to pay the full amount or appeal to the court to set aside the judgment.