{"id":50660,"date":"2023-05-25T09:11:41","date_gmt":"2023-05-25T13:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/?p=50660"},"modified":"2023-05-26T06:08:09","modified_gmt":"2023-05-26T10:08:09","slug":"shaq-sued-for-ftx-astrals-crypto-endorsements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/shaq-sued-for-ftx-astrals-crypto-endorsements\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaq Faces Lawsuit Over FTX, Astrals Crypto Deals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Shaquille O'Neal faces legal troubles for his alleged promotion of FTX Exchange and Astrals NFT project, both accused of defrauding investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shaquille-O-Neal.jpg\" alt=\"Shaq Sued for FTX, Astrals Crypto Endorsements\" class=\"wp-image-50664\" width=\"824\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shaquille-O-Neal.jpg 960w, https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shaquille-O-Neal-300x204.jpg 300w, https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shaquille-O-Neal-768x522.jpg 768w, https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shaquille-O-Neal-750x510.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 824px) 100vw, 824px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/business-news\/shaquille-oneal-sued-over-astrals-crypto-ownership-and-promotion-1235499257\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Shaquille O'Neal received two complaints<span class=\"wpil-link-icon\" title=\"Link goes to external site.\" style=\"margin: 0 0 0 5px;\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" style=\"height:16px; width:16px; fill:#000000; stroke:#000000; display:inline-block;\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:svg=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><g id=\"wpil-svg-outbound-7-icon-path\" fill=\"none\" clip-path=\"url(#clip0_31_188)\">\r\n                            <path d=\"M9.16724 14.8891L20.1672 3.88908\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/>\r\n                            <path d=\"M13.4497 3.53554L20.5208 3.53554L20.5208 10.6066\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\r\n                            <path d=\"M17.5 13.5L17.5 16.26C17.5 17.4179 17.5 17.9968 17.2675 18.4359C17.0799 18.7902 16.7902 19.0799 16.4359 19.2675C15.9968 19.5 15.4179 19.5 14.26 19.5L7.74 19.5C6.58213 19.5 6.0032 19.5 5.56414 19.2675C5.20983 19.0799 4.92007 18.7902 4.73247 18.4359C4.5 17.9968 4.5 17.4179 4.5 16.26L4.5 9.74C4.5 8.58213 4.5 8.0032 4.73247 7.56414C4.92007 7.20983 5.20982 6.92007 5.56414 6.73247C6.0032 6.5 6.58213 6.5 7.74 6.5L11 6.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/>\r\n                        <\/g>\r\n                        <defs>\r\n                            <clipPath id=\"clip0_31_188\">\r\n                                <rect fill=\"white\" height=\"24\" width=\"24\"\/>\r\n                            <\/clipPath>\r\n                        <\/defs><\/svg><\/span><\/a> about his crypto endorsements while broadcasting an NBA game on Tuesday night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The former basketball star was served with the complaints at the ex-FTX Arena in Miami (now renamed the Kaseya Center), where he had promoted <a href=\"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/ftx-files-lawsuit-to-recover-446-million-from-voyager.html\">FTX<\/a> before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other complaint was about his involvement in ASTRALS, an NFT project he and his son co-founded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process server recorded the encounter to avoid confusion, as O'Neal has been avoiding servers for months. O'Neal then had the server thrown out of the venue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Previous attempts to serve O'Neal with the FTX class-action lawsuit had failed, with the basketball star claiming that process servers had mishandled the delivery of the papers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adam Moskowitz, the lawyer who filed both cases, served O\u2019Neal with the FTX class-action lawsuit during the game. The suit claims that O'Neal's endorsement misled investors and potentially exacerbated their financial losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This incident showcases O'Neal's response to the litigation and his desire to distance himself from the legal proceedings. How O'Neal and his legal team will respond to the allegations against him in the FTX lawsuit remains to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-astrals-nft-lawsuit\">Astrals NFT lawsuit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the FTX class-action lawsuit, the other complaint was about O'Neal's involvement in the ASTRALS NFT project that he and his son, Myles O'Neal, founded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ASTRALS is a <a href=\"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/how-to-buy-an-nft-on-solana-blockchain.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Solana-based<\/a> NFT project that aims to create a virtual world where users can socialize and trade unique avatars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lawsuit claims that O'Neal founded and promoted this NFT project, which the plaintiffs argue constituted <em><a href=\"https:\/\/tyracpa.com\/unregistered-securities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">&#8220;unregistered securities.&#8221; <span class=\"wpil-link-icon\" title=\"Link goes to external site.\" style=\"margin: 0 0 0 5px;\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" style=\"height:16px; width:16px; fill:#000000; stroke:#000000; display:inline-block;\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:svg=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"#wpil-svg-outbound-7-icon-path\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The complaint asserts that the NFTs sold by Astrals were, in fact, investment contracts falling under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/personal-finance\/howey-test\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Howey Test. <span class=\"wpil-link-icon\" title=\"Link goes to external site.\" style=\"margin: 0 0 0 5px;\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" style=\"height:16px; width:16px; fill:#000000; stroke:#000000; display:inline-block;\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:svg=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"#wpil-svg-outbound-7-icon-path\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plaintiffs allege that they suffered investment losses due to O'Neal's actions and seek damages accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lawsuit raises questions about O'Neal's current involvement in the Astrals NFT project, noting that he has not made any recent contributions to the project's Discord channel since January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This detail adds to the complexity of the case, as it seeks to establish O'Neal's level of responsibility and influence over the alleged sale of unregistered securities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>O'Neal's legal team will likely need to address these claims and present a clear defense against the allegations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the FTX lawsuit, O'Neal is named alongside Tom Brady, Gisele B\u00fcndchen, Steph Curry, Naomi Osaka and Larry David. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lawsuit claims that the celebrities duped investors into investing in FTX, which filed for bankruptcy after being accused of fraud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shaq\u2019s reputation at stake amid FTX lawsuits<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>O'Neal, a prominent brand spokesperson since retiring from the NBA in 2011, appeared in several commercials and campaigns for FTX. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, since its downfall, he has tried to distance himself from the company. He told CNBC in December that he was <strong>&#8220;just a paid spokesperson for a commercial&#8221;<\/strong> and not involved in FTX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He has also pursued various ventures outside of basketball, such as rap music, movies, and endorsements. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnostalgiahq.com\/shaquille-oneal-nicknames\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">His nicknames<span class=\"wpil-link-icon\" title=\"Link goes to external site.\" style=\"margin: 0 0 0 5px;\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" style=\"height:16px; width:16px; fill:#000000; stroke:#000000; display:inline-block;\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:svg=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"#wpil-svg-outbound-7-icon-path\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span><\/a> include Shaq, The Big Aristotle, The Diesel, Superman, and Shaq Fu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of the legal outcomes, these lawsuits could damage <a href=\"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/nba-hall-of-famer-shaquille-oneal-disagrees-with-cryptocurrency.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Shaquille O'Neal's<\/a> reputation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The allegations of endorsing a bankrupt exchange and promoting unregistered securities could tarnish O\u2019Neal\u2019s public image as a former basketball star turned media personality and business mogul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How O'Neal manages these legal challenges and addresses the claims made against him will play a crucial role in determining the impact on his reputation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shaquille O&#8217;Neal faces legal troubles for his alleged promotion of FTX Exchange and Astrals NFT project, both accused of defrauding investors. Shaquille O&#8217;Neal received two complaints about his crypto endorsements while broadcasting an NBA game on Tuesday night. The former basketball star was served with the complaints at the ex-FTX Arena in Miami (now renamed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":50664,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[14598,132,778,14599,1321],"class_list":["post-50660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-astrals","tag-crypto","tag-ftx","tag-shaq-fu","tag-shaquille-oneal"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shaquille-O-Neal.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50660\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}