Paulina Gretzky, wife of golfer Dustin Johnson, has revealed that she received death threats on social media after Johnson decided to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. The revelation came during the newest season of the Netflix series “Full Swing.”
“There were people sending death threats and awful, awful, awful things,”Gretzky said on the show. “People were aggressive, that’s for sure, but that’s when I shut it down for a little bit and I was like ‘I don’t need to look at this, everyone has an opinion on it and fine.’
“We have a little bit more time together now since things have changed a little, whereas before it was ‘go go go.’ We have more control now of how we do things,” she added. “The old life we had, it was ‘I had to take a back seat’ but now it feels like we’re in the front of the plane together flying. It was the right move.”
Social media had mixed reactions
The news of the death threats has elicited sympathy from many in the golf world, with some fans expressing disbelief that such behavior could occur. Others, however, have questioned the veracity of the claims, suggesting that the threats may not have actually happened.
“Some of the same people crying about blood money and human rights are out there sending death threats. You can’t make it up,” said one netizen. But someone else was not so convinced: “No one cared when DJ went because a) he’s likeable, b) he didn’t say he was growing the game, and c) pretty sure he stayed out of the lawsuit. Also why would people message his wife and kids. Next.”
Regardless, the revelation underscores the challenges faced by athletes and their families in the age of social media, where criticism and threats can come from anonymous sources.
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DJ is happy with the change
Johnson, who made the switch to LIV Golf in 2022, has no regrets over his decision. He is currently second in the individual standings through three events, with his team, 4Aces GC, ranked tenth out of 13 in the team standings.
Gretzky had previously spoken about Johnson’s move in the first season of “Full Swing,” highlighting the guaranteed money and increased family time as major factors in the decision.