MEMPHIS, Tenn. — He is known for being outspoken and controversial, but one man said TV host Thaddeus Matthews took things too far last month.
“I can’t even sleep peacefully, can’t eat peacefully, phone constantly got off,” Fredrick McWilliams told WREG.
McWilliams claimed Matthews harassed him in February and stole his peace of mind.
“Intimidation. Being frightened, harassed, stalked, the emotional distress, not being able to move freely throughout this city without wondering will I be attacked,” McWilliams described.
Matthews was carted off to jail on Friday.
Police said the television personality threatened to fight McWilliams on his show and posted naked pictures of him online.
McWilliams claimed Matthews also popped up where he was on several occasions, including a bar off of Kirby Parkway.
According to the affidavit, Matthews pulled up beside McWilliams on Madison Avenue and stared him down.
Matthews told WREG he did not harass McWilliams.
“I did my job on TV,” he said.
Matthews admitted running into the victim in public but insisted the instances were not harassment.
“How come he can’t be following me?” Matthews asked. “How come its Thaddeus following him?”
The alleged feud started last summer when McWilliams was accused of stealing $1 million from the Masons, and WREG uncovered McWilliams had business ties to Shelby County Commissioner Justin Ford.
McWilliams declined to comment on those allegations.
“Hell. He’s just basically a liar,” Matthews said.
Since last year, McWilliams has attempted to file an order of protection against Matthews, claiming threats of bodily harm.
“I have found that he is a very dangerous man,” McWilliams told WREG.
Matthews has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against McWillaims and the United Supreme Council, a Masonic organization.
The television host is accusing the defendants of breaking into his office and stealing information from his computer.
“The rest of what I would like to say to him you would not air it on your station,” Matthews said.
Matthews has been locked up for similar crimes in the past, such as stalking and assault.
