The widow of Shad Gaspard, the famed WWE fighter who drowned in an attempt to save his son in the Pacific Ocean near Venice Beach, California, is suing the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and the state of California over her husband’s death last May.
Siliana Gaspard filed a wrongful death lawsuit this week. Shad Gaspard was 39 when he went swimming with his then-nine-year-old son Aryeh on May 17 but was caught in a rip-tide. Shad Gaspard, who was 6’7’’, was known as “Da Beast” and formed a tag team with partner JTG called Cryme Tyme. He had quit pro wrestling in 2010 to start an acting career, appearing in 2015’s “Get Hard” with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart.
Gaspard reportedly told lifeguards to save his son first before he disappeared underwater. The U.S. Coast Guard searched for two days for his body. It washed ashore at Venice Beach on May 20.
In the lawsuit, Siliana Gaspard alleges that there were insufficient signs warning of the dangers of swimming in the area, that lifeguards were slow to react, poorly trained, understaffed and lacking proper equipment. The lawsuit claims that when lifeguards “saw Shad Gaspard and A.G. (Gaspard’s son) struggling in the water,” they “did not do anything for an unreasonable and negligent amount of time,” adding that the lifeguards “eventually went into the water but without the proper equipment for their duties to assist people in the water like Shad Gaspard and A.G.” The lawsuit claims that the lifeguards “chose to only assist A.G. and left Shad Gaspard in the water to die.”
A police report stated, “When last seen by the lifeguard, a wave had crashed over him (Gaspard) and he was swept out to sea.” The lawsuit states that lifeguard stations at Venice Beach were “negligently understaffed compared to how they normally are.”
The Daily Mail noted:
While Shad remained missing, Siliana issued a statement on Instagram thanking authorities for their efforts, while holding on to hope for her husband’s safe return. “We would like to express our gratitude to the first responders who rescued Aryeh and to the lifeguards, coast guard, divers, fire and police departments for their continued efforts to help find our beloved Shad,” the statement said. “Shad is a fighter, a warrior and a magical soul. We are hoping and praying for his safe return. As a family we thank you all for your concern and well wishes. Please continue to keep sending your positivity and prayers to our beloved Shad.”
One month after her husband’s death, Siliana Gaspard told People Magazine, “Shad was a family man, an excellent father, and it shows in our son. Everyone has nothing but good things to say about him, and how well-behaved he is, how well-mannered he is, and they all give me credit. But the truth is, it took two of us, and Shad was a big part of that. … We’re just doing our best to push forward. We’re just trying to ensure that his legacy lives on through his projects and, of course, our son. He is the most important thing for both of us. So I have to stay strong for him. … Yeah, he was a wrestler. Yeah, he was more than six feet tall. But at the end of the day, he just really cared for his family more than anything.”