Phil Mickelson Accuser Speaks Out After New Article Alleges His Extensive Sexual Misconduct
Phil Mickelson Accuser Speaks Out After New Article Alleges His Extensive Sexual Misconduct
Anna Lazarus CaplanMon, June 29, 2026 at 6:02 PM UTC
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Ashley Perez, Phil MickelsonCredit: Ashley Perez/Instagram; Patrick McDermott/Getty -
The estranged wife of pro golfer Pat Perez is speaking out about an alleged sexual misconduct incident involving Phil Mickelson
Ashley Perez detailed the interaction to golf website Skratch
Perez thanked others for their support in an Instagram Stories post
Ashley Perez, the estranged wife of pro golfer Pat Perez is speaking out about alleged sexual misconduct on behalf of Phil Mickelson, weeks after another report detailed claims of Mickelson’s “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” with an employee at a golf club.In the wake of a recent article published on the golf website Skratch, in which she details an alleged explicit interaction in 2015 between herself and the 55-year-old, three-time Masters champ, Perez shared a photo of herself and a message on her Instagram Stories on Sunday, June 28.“I will rise up and stand next to the millions of women who have been silenced to protect the evil and darkness that lurks amongst us,” Perez wrote. “Thank you dearly for the love and support. My heart goes out to the countless other victims.”In the Skratch article, Perez looks back at the decade-plus old incident, in which she claims Mickelson “took out his phone and showed her a full-body picture of himself naked with an erection while flexing one bicep,” according to the article. She said Mickelson asked her to "come see me" later.Perez and her husband, Pat, were guests of the six-time major winner at his Barclays tournament weekend accommodations near New York City at the time.“We were staying next door to Phil,” she told Skratch’s Alan Shipnuck, “and Pat still had to play in the tournament. I didn’t want it to get messy.”
Ashley PerezCredit: Ashley Perez/Instagram
After the Barclays tournament was over, Ashley told her husband what she claims had transpired. Pat, in turn, then told others on the PGA Tour about the alleged incident.Seven years later, Pat alluded to the alleged inappropriate interaction while on a podcast.
“I have a different hate for Phil than most people,” the LIV golfer, now 50, said on Son of a Butch with Claude Harmon in 2022. “And people won’t know the story — I’m not gonna go into the story again — but Phil crossed the line with me that is just uncrossable and unforgivable. He knows that he screwed up. He apologized for the action, but I cannot forgive him for it." Perez, who shares two children with Pat, filed for divorce in 2023.“There is a culture of silence that keeps women from coming forward,” Perez said in the Skratch article. “I want to give other women the courage to share their truth. With Phil, I feel like the pattern has been there for many years but people have been afraid to go public because it’s Phil Mickelson.”She continued, “We give these golfers so much adulation and money, they think they’re gods. They think they’re untouchable. Being a pro athlete doesn’t exempt you from behaving respectfully in society. With Phil, you’re dealing with an egotistical narcissist. I know the type—I used to be married to one. Phil will keep going until he gets caught. Actually, it takes more than that. If Phil's behavior is ever going to change, he has to understand the trauma he has caused so many people in so many parts of his life.”
Mickelson's rep did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment on Monday, June 29. His attorney, Tom Clare, issued a statement to Golfweek in the wake of the allegations.
"A small segment of the golf media has decided that because Mr. Mickelson is a successful golfer, every detail of his private and family life is theirs to exploit. Recycling mistakes he has already acknowledged as new reporting, and dragging private family matters into public view, is reckless. It is the pursuit of clicks at the expense of the truth. Do better," the statement read.
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A separate statement was also issued to Golfweek from Mickelson's rep.
"Some of the allegations circulating about Mr. Mickelson are false, and others revisit mistakes he has already acknowledged, publicly or privately. Stacking the disputed claims next to the ones he has owned does not make them credible. It instead contributes to a false and misleading narrative. No person, no article, and no book can present an accurate, complete, or personal story of the life Mr. Mickelson and his family have lived. His story, struggles, and recovery belong to him and to the people who have shared it closely alongside him. Recovery is not a straight line. Throughout their 35-year relationship, his wife, Amy Mickelson, has supported Mr. Mickelson and their family with extraordinary grace, unwavering love, and the belief that people are measured not only by their failures, but by what they do to make them right. Mr. Mickelson's priority is to become the husband, father, and man his family deserves. Right now, that means giving his full attention to a private family health matter. He understands that parts of his life are public, but his family's private matters are not," the comment from Mickelson's spokeswoman read.
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Perez’s allegations come weeks after Golf Digestreported that Mickelson lost his golf privileges at The Farms Golf Club near San Diego following an alleged interaction this past spring, in which he made “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” with a female employee.The woman reportedly rejected Mickelson’s overture and immediately reported it to supervisors at the club who “took the allegation seriously and moved quickly.”Following Golf Digest's report, a spokesperson for Mickelson told the outlet that “any misunderstanding has been cleared up.” Mickelson’s attorney later told the that the golfer resigned from the club.
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