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Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Phil Mickelson Seeks|ID of ‘Vicious’ Poster

MONTREAL (CN) - Phil Mickelson sued an Internet service provider, seeking the identity of a person who posted what the golfer calls "vicious" statements about him and his wife.

Mickelson sued Videotron S.E.N.C. in Quebec Superior Court, seeking the identity of the author of "several highly defamatory statements posted by one or more individual on the Internet, in particular on a Yahoo! website, under the pseudonyms of 'Fogroller' and 'Longitude';

"The postings suggest that plaintiff has an illegitimate child, that his wife has affairs and other similar vexatious statements that are absolutely untrue and, simply put, vicious," the complaint states.

Mickelson, a wildly popular golfer, has won 39 PGA events and four major tournaments. His wife, Amy, is recovering from breast cancer.

In his complaint, Mickelson says the San Diego Superior Court authorized him to subpoena Yahoo! for information about "Fogroller" and "Longitude," and Yahoo! responded with Fogroller's Internet protocol address, which is registered to a Videotron subscriber.

Videotron's attorney said Mickelson needs a court order for the company to provide him with the information he seeks. Mickelson seeks the court order.

"It is urgent, and in the best interest of justice, to accurately identify the person using the 'Fogroller' pseudonym and posting these offensive and defamatory statements, in order to stop the dissemination of false and wrongful statements about the plaintiff and obtain reparation for the prejudice already suffered," the complaint states.

Mickelson says his "reputation is extremely important considering his status".

Like many top athletes, Mickelson earns more from endorsements than he does from his tournaments. Sports Illustrated and Fortune magazines called him the second-highest-paid athlete in the world 4 years ago, with a 2007 income of $51 million, behind only Tiger Woods, before Woods suffered his personal fiasco. Woods' problems, and Mickelson's wife's illness, only made Mickelson more popular.

He is represented by Stikeman Elliott.

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