Professional golferPatrick Reedis taking action.
The 2018 Masters champion, 32, has launched a defamation lawsuit against the Golf Channel and commentator Brandel Chamblee,ESPNreported.
“Defendants Chamblee and NBC’s Golf Channel have conspired as joint tortfeasors for and with the PGA Tour, [sic] it’s executives and it’s Commissioner Jay Monahan, to engage in a pattern and practice of defaming Mr. Reed,” the documents stated.
The golfer’s legal team claims that the defendants would misreport “information with falsity and/or reckless disregard of the truth, that is with actual and constitutional malice, purposely omitting pertinent key material facts to mislead the public, and actively targeting Mr. Reed.”
Orlando Ramirez/Getty; AP/Shutterstock
When reached Wednesday, the Golf Channel declined to comment to PEOPLE.
Per the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Texas on Tuesday, Reed has felt targeted for the last nine years, ever since he went pro at 23 years old.
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Regarding the effects the defendants' efforts have caused, Reed said in the complaint that it created hate and a “hostile work environment for him.”
Reed has dealt with cheating allegations in his career, beginning in December 2019, when Reed was caught moving sand from behind his ball at the Hero World Challenge, according toYahoo News.
At the time, cameras caught Reedremoving the sand while taking two practice swings, but he later blamed a “bad camera angle” for the accusations. He suffered a two-stroke penalty, but some believed Reed should have been removed from the tournament.
During the coverage, Chamblee said perThe New York Post, “This is going to follow him around like the video of Nixon saying ‘I’m not a crook.’ " In 2020, Reed’s attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Chamblee demanding that he stop saying Reed intentionally broke the rules, the outlet reported.
Patrick Reed.Sam Greenwood/Getty
Since that instance, Chamblee continued to connect the golfer to hischeating allegationsand his decision to defect from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf earlier that year, the lawsuit said.
The nine-time PGA Tour winner also addressedhis suspension from the PGA Tourafter he choseto join the controversial, Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
David J. Phillip/AP/REX/Shutterstock.David J. Phillip/AP/REX/Shutterstock
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The PGA Tour suspended its members, including Reed, who played in the first LIV event without the tour’s consent, ESPN reported.
“As our regulations clearly state, there are no conflicting event/media releases available for events that take place in North America,” Monahan said at the time, perGolf Channel. “As a result, these players did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV event is in violation of our tournament regulations.”
source: people.com
