[Archive 2007-01-08] Accusations Tigger threw punch fill airwaves as teen claims neck injuries

Historical archive — originally published 2007-01-08. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

A family has a video of what they claim to be "Tigger" punching their son. Visiting the Disney-MGM Studios on Saturday, Jerry Monaco Jr. of New Hampshire alleges that Tigger purposely punched him without provocation. The footage was caught on the family's video camera, and the Monacos and their attorney are demanding an apology from the actor.

Monaco Jr.'s left arm is moving behind Tigger, while Tigger's right arm is on Monaco Jr's shoulders.

Tigger abruptly moves his right arm down and around, sweeping Monaco Jr.'s left arm off of his back, pinning Monaco Jr.'s arm to his body.

Tigger then starts rotating clockwise, wherein Tigger's left arm moves across his body. It appears that Tigger briefly pulls down on his chin, in what looks like a move to possibly prevent the head from flying off.

The footage is very brief. It shows little before or after the punch, a total of only four seconds.

Monaco Sr. took his son to the hospital the night after the altercation. Monaco Jr. claimed that he had neck pains. "I'm a little sore and most of the pain is gone because I have medicine," he told the CBS Early Show today.

The videotape was in regular rotation on news stations on Sunday and Monday. As of 4:00 pm ET 8 January 2007, Google News listed over five hundred news outlets filing stories on the incident.

A 1981 case tried Winnie the Pooh, a character from the same series of cartoons as Tigger, was viciously slapped. The incident, which happened three years prior, was alleged to have resulted in bruising, recurring headaches, and possible brain damage.

Costumed character actor Robert Hill was the first witness in the case. He testified that the costume severely restricted his vision and movement. He recalled that the girl was tugging at his costume from behind. Turning to see who it was, he accidentally struck her ear.

The Disney attorney reentered the courtroom in costume, with Hill in costume. Hill responded to questions while on the witness stand. Pooh was asked "What do you do at Disneyland?" Hill danced down the courtroom aisle, causing the audience to burst into laughter. The judge stated, "Have the record show that he's doing a two-step." The comical procedure demonstrated the arms on the elaborate costume were too low to the ground to slap the girl at her then height.

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