A federal choose in Florida on Wednesday dismissed LIV Golf League participant Patrick Reed‘s $750 million defamation lawsuits towards the Golf Channel, a number of of its commentators and different golf writers and media shops.
U.S. District Court docket Decide Timothy J. Corrigan of the Center District of Florida in Jacksonville wrote in a 78-page ruling that Reed’s complaints in each lawsuits fell in need of alleging enough details displaying the defendants had precise malice when making feedback about him, “which is deadly to every defamation declare.”
“His Amended Complaints reference over 50 completely different allegedly defamatory statements,” Corrigan wrote. “Nonetheless, most of the statements are usually not about Reed. Some statements are about LIV Golf, of which Reed is a member, however not particularly about Reed. Others are issues of opinion or permissible rhetorical hyperbole. Nonetheless others are statements of truth, the reality of which aren’t challenged.
“And Reed doesn’t meet the required pleading of precise malice to carry the press chargeable for defamation. Whereas Reed could also be annoyed on the damaging media protection he receives (a few of which appears excessive), beneath Florida regulation and the First Modification, Reed fails to deliver actionable defamation claims and his instances subsequently should be dismissed.”
Corrigan wrote that he would wait to rule whether or not the defendants, which included the Gannett Co., The Related Press and Fox Sports activities, could be entitled to get better lawyer’s charges and court docket prices from Reed.
Reed initially filed his federal case throughout the top of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf feud in Texas in August 2022. He refiled the case in Florida a few month later. The lawsuits accused quite a few defendants of conspiracy, defamation, injurious falsehood and tortious interference.
The complaints alleged the defendants have been co-conspirators for his or her “anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive practices in an effort to destroy the upstart LIV Golf Tour, Mr. Reed, and fellow LIV Golf gamers in an effort to annihilate any competitors with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour,” in response to a information launch from Reed’s lawyer, Larry Klayman.
The information launch stated the defendants labeled Reed a “cheater, liar, a thief, a assassin and somebody who accepts blood cash from terrorists.”
Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, resigned from the PGA Tour, which has suspended its members for competing in LIV Golf tournaments with out conflicting-event releases. Reed, a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour, earned greater than $37 million throughout his tour profession.
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