Ben Wright Under Fire Again for Comments About Lesbians

CBS golf commentator Ben Wright, who escaped unscathed in May after denying he made disparaging comments about lesbians in women’s golf hurting the sport, is in hot water again.

This week, in a Sports Illustrated Golf Plus article entitled “Living With a Lie,” two sources say Wright did make the statements he claimed he didn’t say.

Also in the article, Wright makes inaccurate statements about the reporter he says misquoted him.

Sports Illustrated says Wright characterized Valerie Helmbreck, a reporter for the News Journal of Wilmington, Del., as divorced, involved in a custody battle and possibly a lesbian. But Helmbreck is married--”happily married for 15 years,” she says--and has three children.

Wright’s inaccurate characterization of Helmbreck is CBS’ main concern now.

A statement from David Kenin, the president of CBS Sports, said: “Last May, CBS addressed certain inappropriate remarks attributed to Ben Wright. The network regrets the additional statements now attributed to Wright in Sports Illustrated.

“CBS has historically stood against bias of all sorts, and Wright has been advised that any comments contrary to the network’s policy will not be tolerated.”

As for Wright’s statements in Helmbreck’s article in May, sportswriter and novelist Dan Jenkins said that Wright, at a party in June at Barbara and Jack Nicklaus’ home in Bridgehampton, N.Y., admitted making them. “What I don’t know is if he was joking,” Jenkins said. “He’d had about two bottles of wine.”

The other source is Ken Doig, a part-time CBS employee. He was in the production trailer where Wright did the interview.

Doig said he heard Wright’s comments and that Helmbreck’s story was accurate. Asked why he had decided to come forward, Doig said, “I’m a golfer, and golf is a game of integrity. I believe in telling the truth.”

Wright was at a golf tournament in Sun City, South Africa, and could not be reached for comment.