A day after being arrested on two harassment charges, controversial Memphis talk show host Thaddeus Matthews said he didn’t do anything wrong.
Local 24 spoke with Matthews and the man who filed a complaint against him.
This is an ongoing feud between Matthews and a man by the name of Fred McWilliams. If the name Fred McWilliams sounds familiar, that’s because last summer he was accused of embezzling more than a million dollars from the United Supreme Council, a group that runs the building where Matthews works. The harassment charges are just one of the issues they’re battling out in court.
“Everything in here is erroneous,” said Matthews.
Matthews is defending himself against claims he made threats on his TV show and on Facebook to harm McWilliams.
I am one of thousands of victims of Mr. Matthews. I’m just one of the victims who refuse to be intimidated,” said McWilliams.
McWilliams filed a complaint with the Memphis Police Department against Matthews.
According to the affidavit, Matthews followed McWilliams to the bar Memphis Nites, where McWilliams was working, threatened him on his television show on February 6, followed him to a restaurant on East Shelby Drive and posted an uncensored nude photo of McWilliams.
“That’s frightening. It’s not emotionally distressing for me but for my family and close friends as well,” said McWilliams.
Matthews said he and his attorney will work to get the charges dismissed.
“We can prove that he does not work there. We can prove that naturally I don’t work on a Saturday. We can prove from the people in the restaurant that hell I didn’t know he was going to be there,” Matthews said.
Amidst the harassment charges McWilliams filed an order of protection against Matthews. That order was denied and a court hearing was scheduled for it.
Plus, Matthews also says McWilliams went his office without permission, went through his computer and put spyware on his computer while he was working for the United Supreme Council.
Matthews filed a lawsuit against McWilliams and the United Supreme Council.
“Mr. Matthews has a loud voice. Mr. Matthews has a powerful voice. Just because you have a loud and powerful voice that doesn’t make your voice right,” McWilliams said.
Matthews said the whole situation is retaliation for his continued reports on McWilliams involving the embezzlement allegations, nude photo sent to an elected official and ongoing case in Bartlett.
“Yeah he may be a little pissed at me but none of this merits going to get a warrant,” Matthews said.
Matthews and McWilliams are due in court Monday morning.
