Spanish MotoGP rider Marc Marquez says some of his relatives were physically assaulted by members of an Italian comedy show.
A statement to Spanish media Saturday said "a group of people" used "a series of insults and humiliating actions" toward Marquez and "shoved and assaulted" close relatives in an incident on Friday. It did not specify any injuries.
However, the Italian television show "Le Iene" (The Hyenas) said on its Facebook page that two of its staff were the ones attacked after trying to record a segment outside where the rider was staying.
The show published a photo of two people holding what appeared to be a broken video camera, and said they ended up going to hospital after the incident.
The alleged incident comes as Italy's Valentino Rossi is fighting for the MotoGP title with Spaniard's Jorge Lorenzo.
Rossi has accused Marquez of trying to help his countryman in the title race. The Italian kicked Marquez while fighting for position and caused him to fall in a race last week.
Marquez was at his parents' house in northeastern Spain when the clash allegedly happened. The altercation reportedly began after Marquez's father and the rider's brother tried to get the crew to leave the property.
"Things did not go the way we expected," said the Facebook post of the TV show. "We were attacked and in the struggle they broke the camera and took the memory card."
The statement, which was released by Marquez's representatives, said the rider planned to sue.
"Acts like this can't happen again," the statement said, adding that Marquez and his family "deserve to be respected."
Rossi was ordered to start from the back of the grid in the season-ending race in Valencia on Nov. 8 after he appeared to kick Marquez during the Malaysian Grand Prix last weekend as the duo jostled for third place on lap seven. Marquez crashed out of the race as a result of the contact.
Rossi has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have his penalty overturned before next week's race.
The 36-year-old Italian holds a seven-point lead ahead of Lorenzo, the only rider who can still catch him.
A seven-time world champion in MotoGP's top class, Rossi is seeking his first title since 2009.
The 22-year-old Marquez won consecutive MotoGP titles from 2013 to 2014. He is third in this year's standings.
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