Tag: Defamation

LIV Golf: Patrick Reed’s $750 million defamation lawsuit dismissed in Florida court

Reed’s attorneys will have until Dec. 16 to file an amended complaint.

Patrick Reed’s $750 million defamation lawsuit, which was originally filed Aug. 16 in Texas and eventually refiled in Florida the next month, has been dismissed.

The lawsuit alleged conspiracy, defamation, injurious falsehood and tortious interference and that the defenders have acted “in concert as joint tortfeasors.” The defendents included Golfweek and its parent company, Eamon Lynch, a Golfweek columnist, Golf Channel and its employees Brandel Chamblee, Damon Hack and Shane Bacon.

Larry Klayman, Reed’s attorney, earlier stated, “The PGA Tour’s and its ‘partner’ the NBC’s Golf Channel’s mission is to destroy a top LIV Golf Tour player, his family, as well as all of the LIV Golf players, to further their agenda and alleged collaborative efforts to destroy the new LIV Golf Tour. As alleged in the Complaint, these calculated malicious attacks have created hate, aided and abetted a hostile workplace environment, and have caused substantial financial and emotional damage and harm to Mr. Reed and his family.”

U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan dismissed the original complaint Friday, according to court records. In his order to dismiss, Corrigan states, “Reed’s Complaint does not cleanly fit into one of the four types of shotgun pleadings; however, it fails to give Defendants notice of the grounds upon which each claim rests because Reed alleges 120 factual allegations, then proceeds to incorporate all 120 allegations into each and every count. … Reed attempts to allege various defamation and civil conspiracy violations against each Defendant; causes of action which require vastly different factual allegations.”

Reed’s attorneys will have until Dec. 16 to file an amended complaint in conjunction with the judge’s orders.

Earlier this month, Klayman filed a new $250 million suit against a number of other prominent golf media members and organizations, including author Shane Ryan, Hachette, the New York Post and Fox Sports, as well as Associated Press golf writer Doug Ferguson and the organization for whom he works.

Klayman announced the filing of a Second Amended Class Action Complaint in Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit on Monday which alleges antitrust conspiracy to restrain trade and harm golf fans in the state of Florida, as well as “eliminate LIV Golf in its infancy.”

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Report: Lawsuit on behalf of Patrick Reed filed against Brandel Chamblee, Golf Channel for defamation — seeking $750 million in damages

According to the documents, Reed claims Chamblee has a history of calling him a cheater.

An attorney working on behalf of Patrick Reed filed a lawsuit seeking damages from Brandel Chamblee and Golf Channel for defamation, court documents that came out Tuesday show.

According to the documents — which were released via a reporter for Courthouse News Service — Reed claims Chamblee has a history of calling him a cheater and has criticized Reed and other golfers for leaving the PGA Tour for the Greg Norman-led, Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.

The court documents allege Chamblee, who works as an analyst with Golf Channel, “have conspired as joint tortfeasors for and with the PGA Tour, it’s (sic) executives and it’s Commissioner Jay Monahan, to engage in a pattern and practice of defaming Mr. Reed, misreporting information with falsity and/or reckless disregard for the truth … purposely omitting pertinent key material facts to mislead the public, and actively targeting Mr. Reed since he was 23 years old to destroy his reputation, create hate, and a hostile work environment for him … ”

The document, which was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division, also states Chamblee and Golf Channel have set out to destroy LIV along with its golf professionals.

The suit is seeking in excess of $750 million in damages. In civil cases, plaintiffs have to prove whether a defendant is liable, not whether a defendant is guilty. According to the document, the suit was filed by Larry Klayman. The Florida-based attorney has been on the losing end of a number of defamation lawsuits, including one in which Arizona politician “Sheriff Joe” Arpaio sued several national media outlets, alleging they defamed him and impacted his attempt to win a U.S. Senate seat.

Meanwhile, last week a judge ruled against three LIV golfers from participating in the FedEx Cup Playoffs in the first of what’s to be many legal battles in the antitrust battle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

Reed has played in two LIV Golf events thus far, recording finishes of third in Pumpkin Ridge in Portland and fifth at Trump Bedminster in New Jersey. His team, 4 Aces, captained by Dustin Johnson, has won both events. Reed finished T-47 at the Open Championship at St. Andrews.

LIV Golf’s next tournament is Sept. 2-4 in Boston.

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