Faizon Love Faces Hotel Assault Lawsuit Over Credit Card Reader Incident
So, it looks like Faizon Love, the actor who stars in the holiday classic “Elf,” is back in the news, but not for anything festive. No, this time it’s over some seriously troubling allegations. Elizabeth Renderos, a hotel employee at a Sheraton in San Diego, has slapped Love with a lawsuit claiming he threw a credit card reader at her during a heated exchange on August 9, 2024. Seriously, who knew credit card machines could cause such drama?
According to Renderos, things got spicy when she informed Love that the hotel was fully booked. He allegedly stormed the front desk, yanked the card reader off the counter, and hurled it at her head—claiming that it struck her on the right side of her noggin (which sounds painful!) and broke her prescription glasses. In her suit, she describes Love’s actions as “despicable, reckless, oppressive, and malicious,” and she’s seeking a pretty penny for her pain, including general, specific, compensatory, and punitive damages.
Not only does this lawsuit skyrocket to the top of “What Not to Do in a Hotel,” but it also doesn’t seem like this is a one-off incident for Love. Turns out, there’s an outstanding warrant for his arrest dating back to October 2, 2024, on felony charges for assault with a deadly weapon. Fans may remember that this isn’t the actor’s first brush with the law; back in 2017, he was involved in an assault case at Columbus International Airport that resulted in a no-contest plea.
And it seems Love himself isn’t handling the controversy well. The day after the alleged incident with Renderos, he took to Instagram to rant about the “Hotel Tonight” app, calling them “frauds.” Talk about bad PR! Given that Love is celebrated for his comedic style—especially in roles like Big Worm in “Friday” and Gimbels’ manager in “Elf”—this serious turn of events is shocking.
With ongoing legal troubles and quite the history, Love needs some serious introspection. While he’s no stranger to Hollywood fame, he might just be on the fast track to a very un-festive holiday season. Here’s hoping things smooth out for everyone involved—preferably without any more flying credit card readers!
Sources: Celebrity Storm Wire and Entertainment Weekly, WBNS, IMDb
