Patrick Reed’s $750 million defamation lawsuit was dismissed by a US District Judge in Florida Friday.
The LIV Golf rebel originally filed the lawsuit on August 16 against the Golf Channel and Brandel Chamblee in Texas only to refile a bigger one the following month – with more defendants – in a Florida federal court.
The lawsuit alleged conspiracy, defamation, injurious falsehood and tortious interference and that the defenders have acted ‘in concert as joint tortfeasors.’
Added to the list of defendants were Golf Channel employees Damon Hack, Shane Bacon and Eamon Lynch, and Golf Channel parent companies Golfweek and Gannett, as well as the DP World Tour and its commissioner Keith Pelley.
US District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan dismissed the case Friday, according to court records.
The records state that:Reed’s Complaint does not fit neatly 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.
Patrick Reed’s $750 million defamation lawsuit was dismissed by a US District Judge Friday
The LIV Golf rebel originally filed the lawsuit against the Golf Channel and Brandel Chamblee
US District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan dismissed the case Friday, according to court records. Corrigan stated, ‘Reed attempts to allege various defamation and civil conspiracy violations against each Defendant; causes of action which require vastly different factual allegations.’
‘[…] Reed attempts to allege various defamation and civil conspiracy violations against each Defendant; causes of action which require vastly different factual allegations.
‘The Court is dismissing Reed’s Complaint without prejudice. In his amended complaint, Reed is instructed to incorporate into each count only the factual allegations that are relevant to the respective causes of action.’
It added: ‘Second, Reed’s Complaint fails to comply with the directives of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a). Rule 8(a) states that a pleading must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” . . .” Ninety-six pages and forty-two counts later, Reed’s Complaint is neither short nor plain.’
Reed’s attorneys will have until December 16 to file an amended complaint in conjunction with the judge’s orders.
The original claim, filed in August, alleged that Chamblee and Golf Channel conspired with the PGA Tour and commissioner Jay Monahan to defame Reed ‘since he was 23 years old’ — nine years ago.
Reed’s allegations included ‘misreporting 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 (Reed) to destroy his reputation, create hate, and a hostile work environment for him.’
Much of the same language was used in the new filing. The $750 million sought was for actual and compensatory damages; Reed claims he lost multimillion-dollar sponsorships as a result of being defamed by Chamblee et al.
The new suit stated that the defamation was ‘intentionally published and perpetrated by the Defendants in the state of Florida, where the offending acts were accessed, read, opened, and viewed by numerous third-party Florida residents and citizens.’
Added to the list of defendants in the lawsuit Reed refiled were Golf Channel employees Damon Hack, Shane Bacon and Eamon Lynch, and Golf Channel parent companies Golfweek and Gannett, as well as the DP World Tour and its commissioner Keith Pelley (pictured)
According to his refiled lawsuit, Reed accused the defendants of conspiring against him
In January 2020, Reed’s lawyer sent Chamblee a cease-and-desist letter demanding he not repeat accusations that Reed cheated during a tournament. Reed was penalized two strokes at the Hero World Challenge in 2019 for improving his lie in a bunker, but he claimed he didn’t intend to do so.
Chamblee continued to take Reed to task over the years, not only for cheating allegations but also for his decision to defect from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf earlier this year.
Reed maintained that Chamblee’s opinions have led to fans heckling him and calling him a cheater at tournaments.
‘You jackass!,’ fans have called Reed, according to his filing, obtained by DailyMail.com.
‘Everyone hates you cheater!,’ others have said.
Reed claims he had to add security at PGA events, both for himself and his family.
Reed maintained that Chamblee’s opinions have led to fans heckling him and calling him a cheater at tournaments. ‘You jackass!,’ fans have called Reed, according to his filing, obtained by DailyMail.com
Earlier this month, Reed’s attorney Larry Klayman filed a new $250m lawsuit against more prominent members and outlets of the golf media.
The 2018 Masters champion is suing the New York Post, Fox Sports, Associated Press, Hachette Book Group and various writers.
Gavin Newsham whose work has appeared in the Post, Doug Ferguson of AP, as well as respected golf writer and author, Shane Ryan, are all defendants in the suit filed last week in Federal court in Jacksonville.
Reed is seeking damages in excess of $250 million dollars, in addition to attorney’s fees and other related expenses to bring it before the court.
Reed claims the aforementioned parties are either ‘malicious false publications, all of which were designed to severely harm Mr. Reed, his family and colleagues personally and professionally,’ or part of them.
Klayman also announced the filing of a Second Amended Class Action Complaint in Palm Beach County’s 15th Judicial Circuit on Monday.
It alleges antitrust to restrain trade and harm golf fans in Florida and ‘eliminate LIV Golf in its infancy.’
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