Tila Tequila wore a demure white blouse while showing her bruised arms to the paparazzi outside an Beverly Hills hotel yesterday. Tila’s bruises do back up her side of the story that San Diego Charges quarterback Shawne Merriman forcibly restrained her at his house over the weekend, a claim he denies. If you compare Shawne’s very measured statement with the kind of hysterical way that Tila has continued to Tweet about her claims, she sounds less than believable. Tila tweeted yesterday that she was meeting with the District Attorney in LA to give her side of the story, but has since deleted that tweet. (Go to Tweleted.com and plug in the search word OfficialTila to see all the tweets she’s deleted lately)

officialTila Wish me luck guys! Im going 2 San Diego tomorrow 2 speak w/the DA! Choking me is NOT OK! check this out via TMZ: http://tinyurl.com/luvn59
Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:27:31

The DA’s office said that it has no plans to meet with Tila, though, and they’re still deciding whether to pursue a case against Merriman:

The San Diego district attorney’s office denied Tila Tequila’s claim that she was meeting with investigators on Friday about Shawne Merriman’s arrest last weekend.

Paul Levikow, a spokesman for the San Diego County DA, told ESPN that the meeting Tequila announced on her Twitter page was never scheduled. TMZ had reported Tequila met investigators on Thursday.

Tequila, an MTV personality, was with Merriman last Saturday night when police arrested him on suspicion of battery and false imprisonment.

Merriman, the Chargers’ three-time Pro Bowl linebacker, denied any wrongdoing and said he was trying to help an intoxicated Tequila get home safely. Tequila has said she wasn’t drunk, but has made several statements about the case on her Twitter page that would later disappear.

Her announcement of the meeting with the DA also disappeared.

The San Diego DA’s office started considering whether Merriman’s arrest warrants charges on Wednesday. — Sean Leahy

[From USA Today]

Tila could be telling the truth, and her bruises do support her claims. She’s not helping by continuing to Tweet about it incessantly, by posting links to incriminating stories about Merriman, and by working to make #Chargers Suck a trending topic on Twitter. She just seems like she’s trying too hard. Maybe that’s how she is, though. It’s just hard to believe her when she lies about other things and tries so hard to convince people. She said she didn’t drink because she was allergic to alcohol, but the cops said on the record that she was drunk during the incident. She claims to have had a meeting with the DA, but the DA says that nothing was scheduled. Now she shows off some supposed bruises to the paparazzi. Something is fishy here.

Tila Tequila and her lawyer initially said that they wouldn’t be commenting at all on the incident in which Tila alleges that San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman choked and restrained her in an effort to prevent her from leaving his home on Saturday night. Tila of course couldn’t help herself and had to go on Twitter to claim in a roundabout way that she wasn’t drunk during the incident because “I am allergic to alcohol. It has been publicly known for years.” She didn’t directly deny being drunk, but seemed to say that it wasn’t possible since she reacts badly to booze. Also without directly referencing the incident Tila cited her size as if that was relevant, tweeting simply “I am only 93 pounds and 4′ft 11……” Police were willing to go on the record to say that Tila was drinking that night, so it makes you question why she’s defending herself with a dubious claim.

For his part, Merriman issued a very convincing and professional statement about the incident in which he assured us that no charges had been filed, that paramedics had not found any evidence that he had choked Tila, and that he never manhandled her and was only trying to make sure she didn’t leave drunk.

Now Tila has issued a response, which again emphasizes her small size in comparison to a football player. Compared to Merriman’s statements, Tila’s just sounds defensive:

Shawne Merriman and his advisors have decided that the best defense is a good offense, attacking Tila Tequila in the press with a lot of calculated spin to cover up his illegal and indefensible actions.

Fortunately, we as a society will not tolerate a 6’4″, 270 pound all-pro NFL linebacker physically assaulting a young lady who is 4’11″ and 93 pounds. It is never justifiable to brutally assault, choke, strike and imprison a woman.

Once the truth is fully revealed, Mr. Merriman’s fantastic story of how he was trying to keep Ms. Tequila safe will be completely discredited.

No one, especially a woman, should ever have to endure what Mr. Merriman did to Tila Tequila.

[From TMZ]

Tila is claiming on her Twitter that “Bruises don’t pop up immediately after you get hit, but the next day….oh yes, they pop up everywhere and gets worse as time passes…” Ok, if that’s the case why doesn’t she post some photos of her injuries? I’m not saying she’s not telling the truth, just that I don’t see any evidence that what she’s saying is true. Why haven’t the police pressed charges against Merriman yet? Also, why doesn’t Tila’s rep say that they have any photos to back up her claims? It’s all about how she’s little and he’s a big guy.

This is the woman who practically admitted that she staged a fake pregnancy for publicity. I’m not suggesting that means that she’s lying here, just that we need more evidence and a police investigation.

Tila is also linking from her Twitter account to a story on GlobalGrind that claims that she couldn’t have been driving that night that Shawne says he tried to keep her from driving drunk because “she did not have a car that night because… a car service was provided for Tila… which refutes Shawne Merriman’s claim that Tila was trying to drive drunk. She did not have a car.” Um, ok, so why didn’t her lawyer say that in his statement then? It doesn’t add up.

Shawne Merriman is shown on 12/19/08. Credit: PRPhotos. Tila Tequila is shown on 6/17/09. Credit: WENN.com

Reality star and prolific Twitterer Tila Tequila, 27, was involved an altercation with what some outlets are reporting was/is her boyfriend, San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, 25, late Saturday night/early Sunday morning. Tila was at a club in San Diego Saturday night partying with Merriman. There are photos of Tila dancing seductively on Merriman’s lap at the club, and TMZ reports that she “was seen giving Shawne lap dances all night long.” Tila went back to Shawne’s place and ended up calling the cops early in the morning, saying that he had choked her and was restraining her to keep her from leaving. She then signed a citizen’s arrest warrant that charged Merriman with battery and false imprisonment. (I thought people only did citizen’s arrests when the cops weren’t around, but apparently they can do this in CA if they’re a witness to a felony. It varies by state. Here is Wikipedia’s explanation of a citizen’s arrest.) Tila also went to the hospital at her own request and was treated and released. Merriman was arrest and placed in jail at 8:30 am, where he was held until 11:00 am. He claims through a lawyer that he didn’t choke Tila and was just trying to help her get home safely. Merriman’s side of the story is that Tila was really drunk and he was just trying to secure alternate transportaion for her so she wouldn’t drive home in that condition.

San Diego Chargers star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested Sunday and accused of choking and restraining his girlfriend, reality TV star Tila Tequila, as she tried to leave his suburban home.

Sheriff’s deputies got the call at 3:45 a.m. on Sunday from a woman who claimed to have been choked and thrown to the ground by the player at his home on Sagecrest Drive in Poway.

“Nguyen told deputies she had been choked and physically restrained by Merriman when she attempted to leave his residence,” San Diego County Sheriff’s spokesperson Jan Caldwell said.

Tequila, 27, signed a citizen’s arrest warrant, charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Gary Steadman said.

Merriman, 25, was taken into custody and booked into the central jail at about 8:30 a.m. He was released shortly after 11 a.m. Caldwell said she didn’t know if he posted bail or was released on his own recognizance.

The linebacker’s lawyer talked briefly with reporters outside the San Diego County Jail downtown Sunday. He denied the allegations and claimed that Merriman and Nguyen were at a party at his Poway home with at least 14 other people.

“During the evening Ms. Tequila was extremely intoxicated, inebriated and Mr. Merriman did everything he could to assist her in arranging for transportation to leave his home. At no time did Mr. Merriman assault her; at no time did Mr. Merriman keep her against her will. His intentions were nothing but good,” Merriman’s attorney Todd Macaluso said.

Tequila requested an ambulance and was transported to Pomerado Hospital. She has since been released.

Caldwell said Sunday that deputies confirmed that Tequila had been drinking.

Tequila, whose real name is Tila Nguyen, is best known for “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila,” which ran for two seasons on MTV. The bisexual dating show featured men and women vying for Tequila’s affections. She has also modeled for Playboy and other men’s magazines.

Scott E. Leemon, an attorney for Tequila, said in a statement that neither she nor her representatives would comment publicly on the incident.

[From NBC San Diego via WeSmirch]

Note in that source article, above, that Tila’s lawyer says neither his client nor he would be publicly commenting. Of course Tila had to say something about it on Twitter, though, and she defends herself by citing her height/weight/belief in God. I’m not saying she’s not telling the truth, it’s hard to tell at this point, but she’s certainly not keeping quiet about it as her lawyer said she would. Tila’s tweets are technically “protected,” but she has nearly a quarter of a million followers and it’s easy to find her status updates on outside websites like CelebrityTweet.com. Here’s what she said about the incident. (These tweets are in order from oldest to newest so that they make more sense. I find it hard to read tweets in the regular backwards order.)

Tila Tequila
I have just gotten back home safely to Los Angeles. Thank you for all of your love and prayers, and I appreciate everyone’s support….
Updated about 10 hours ago

I am allergic to alcohol. It has been publicly known for years. That is how I got the name Tila “Tequila” cuz the irony. I cant drink.
Updated about 9 hours ago

I am only 93 pounds and 4′ft 11……
Updated about 7 hours ago

Thank you #TilaArmy for all the love and support….I love you all…xox
Updated about 7 hours ago

The truth will set you free…..God is with me.
Updated about 4 hours ago

[From Tila Tequila's twitter via Celebrity Tweet]

Yeah, Tila, we get it. It had to have gone down the way you’re claiming because you don’t drink and you’re very little. How come the cops are saying on the record that you were drunk, then? This woman could be telling the entire truth and she may have been victimized by this guy. But she should have taken her lawyer’s advice and shut up about it. As it is, she sounds defensive and that’s not helping her case. We’ll have to see what happens in court and if this goes any further.

Update: TMZ has Shawne Merriman’s full statement on the night in question. It’s very professional, to-the-point, and convincing. Tila was examined and released and no charges have been filed against him. He says, in part. “I in no way caused any harm to Ms. Nguyen, however, paramedics were called and she was examined but no injuries were reported. She was released and has since returned to Los Angeles, California…. There have been no charges filed against me.”

Tila Tequila is shown out on 7/18/09. Shawne Merriman is shown on 12/1/08. Credit: WENN.com