Twins pitcher Carl Pavano seemed to finally have things on track. He had an excellent 2010 after being noted on of the biggest free agent bust of all time. He seemed to of found a home in Minnesota and for the first time in a long time had a secured spot in a major league rotation.
That was until late this past week.
Off the field Pavano apparently the victim of a extortion plot by… a former high school classmate and a man who is claiming to of had an “emotional and physical” relationship with the pitcher.
The allegations stem from a search warrant affidavit claiming that Christian Bedard, 36, of Southington tried to extort money and a luxury SUV from the pitcher.
Much of the demands started via Facebook messages to Michelle DeGennaro which included the following from Bedard…
“The only way your brother is getting out of this… is with a heart-felt apology and a navy Range Rover with tan leather.”
Furthermore, Bedard is claiming that he had a $1.2 million book deal on the table which presumably is the “this” Bedard is referring too.
DeGennaro later called Bedard’s claims “fabricated, false information.”
According to the Record-Journal, Bedard said he made the comments about the SUV “in jest” and released a statement Thursday to the Associated Press saying: “I have been openly gay for most of my adult life. For years, my physical high school relationship with Carl Pavano has been well-known to my close friends and family. … Michelle DeGennaro contacted me on Facebook asking under what conditions would I not talk about my relationship with Carl. I did not attempt to extort money from Carl Pavano. I have not been charged with any crime. I will allow my local police department to conclude their investigation and I will have no further comment.”
So is it possible that Carl Pavano was outed by a jilted gay lover? Sure it’s possible but this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen individuals try to blackmail pro athletes. Not to mention Bedard hasn’t really given any reason to take his word as the definitive truth.
Ref: USA Today, Record-Journal
