Paige Spiranac got ‘tens of thousands of death threats’ after Internet Invitational cheating controversy
The fallout from the Internet Invitational hit Paige Spiranac particularly hard.
Breaking her silence Tuesday in a series of Instagram Stories, the longtime golf influencer — who was at the center of a cheating controversy at the buzzy event that aired over the past month — said she has received “tens of thousands of death threats” in the aftermath.
“The last week and a half is probably the worst hate I’ve ever received in the ten years of me doing this,” Spiranac said. “I’m talking tens of thousands of death threats, people telling me to kill myself, the most vile, horrendous stuff you could ever say to an individual, that’s been in my DMs to the point where we were discussing me having to potentially get a restraining order. I mean, it’s serious stuff. It’s not easy, and it hasn’t been easy.”
Paige Spiranac is speaking out following the controversy at the Internet Invitational. Instagram
Spiranac, 32, had taken a break from social media, where she boasts more than five million followers between Instagram and X combined, to preserve her mental health.
“I know people are wondering why I haven’t posted or why I haven’t talked about it, I just needed to remove myself for my mental health,” she said.
“One thing that I really struggle with is wanting to be liked and accepted, and I don’t want anyone to ever dislike me, and I always try to do everything I can to have people like me, and so, it’s just hard for me as a person with how I process things and then obviously the situation has not been easy either, but luckily, having a good support system, family around and just trying to stay distracted.”
Spiranac, while being followed by a number of cameras, brushed grass aside in the rough on the 9th hole, allowing Malosi Togisala to have a cleaner shot at the ball.
After seeing the video, Spiranac’s opponents confronted her on the green. She broke down in tears, claiming she did not know the rule, and since her team had lost the hole, the matter was eventually put to rest.
“I am painfully, painfully embarrassed that I did not know this rule,” she said in an Instagram Story. “… I would never intentionally cheat. In all my years of playing golf, I have never been accused of cheating.
Paige Spiranac said she was “painfully embarrassed” about not being privy to a rule at the event. x
“… There were so many cameras on me, to blatantly cheat with that many people around, that many cameras around would be insane. So, I made a mistake, learned now that it was a rules infraction, and I’ll never do it again.”
Spiranac’s team ultimately lost the match — which included a separate cheating controversy involving Togisala — on the 18th hole in a dramatic ending.
The event was run by Barstool and Bob Does Sports, with Dave Portnoy serving as the rules official throughout the event, which started with 48 golf content creators.
It was taped over the summer before running over six episodes starting last month.
Spiranac expressed gratitude Tuesday to those who have checked in during a turbulent time.
“It’s been an interesting week and a half, but I just want to thank everyone for reaching out, asking me how I’m doing, all the support, really means so much to me,” she said.
