Environmentalist Plans To Sue Drew Brees Over Fake Lightning Video, Is Standing Against The 'Misinformation' Of Lightning

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There was a brief moment last week where nobody knew if Drew Brees was alive or not after a video of him appearing to be struck by lightning went viral. While most people laughed off and then completely forgot about the marketing ploy, one Venezuelan environmentalist did not and plans to file a lawsuit against the former NFL quarterback.

The video that sparked all the buzz (pun very much intended) was shot in the Zulia State of Venezuela - home to an 'everlasting' lightning storm called Catatumbo - and portrayed Brees preparing to film an ad for PointsBet. The ad was specifically for 'free lightning bets' hence the lightning theme.

Not long after speculation about Brees began dominating social media, PointsBet and Brees cleared the air and confirmed it was simply a marking ploy.

Environmentalist Suing Brees In The Name Of Lightning

Venezuelan environmentalist Erik Quiroga saw the fake ad and decided that he was going to stand up and fight for the Catatumbo lightning itself. He claims the video was a "misinformation campaign" and portrays Catatumbo lightning in a negative light.

“It demonstrates a disinformation campaign about one of the most extraordinary meteorological phenomena on the planet, turned into advertising merchandise without any scruples,” Quiroga told Venezuelan news website El Pitazo.

" deserves the strongest repudiation and pronouncement of the relevant organizations to initiate a lawsuit against Drew Brees and the promoters of the media show, to stop the infamous campaign against Catatumbo Lightning and indemnify the inhabitants of the Catatumbo municipality, who will be affected by the negative impact of the media show.”

Quiroga also added that in his 26 years of studying the Catatumbo lightning nobody had ever been struck.

I don't think Brees ever thought he'd be getting sued by a guy standing up for lightning rights after filming an ad for a sports betting website, but here we are.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.