Beverly Johnson — the first black model to grace the cover of Vogue, in 1974 — is furious that her ex-boyfriend, who was convicted of making threats against her, is getting his own show on the Golf Channel.
Former pro player Mark Burk is the subject of a new Golf Channel docu-reality series, “Pipe Dream,” premiering Jan. 11, which “chronicles his journey to get his life back on track and clear his name,” according to a rep for the channel.
A spokeswoman for Indio Superior Court in California told Page Six that Burk was convicted in January 2009 of making “terrorist” threats against Johnson after she claimed he broke into her house and threatened to kill her. Court papers show he was handed 36 months’ probation and three days in jail.
Johnson declined to be interviewed, but her lawyer, Hans Fleischner, said, “I don’t think these domestic violence issues are a first for Mr. Burk. He was the subject of multiple restraining orders in Los Angeles dating back to 2004. I have written to the Golf Channel saying this isn’t just a case of someone’s life suddenly taking a bad turn, which is how they’re trying to depict it.”
According to reps for the new show, Burk says he was left penniless and found himself living inside abandoned construction pipes in Palm Springs after he split with Johnson, with whom he lived for nearly three years.
He has filed a series of lawsuits “involving” Johnson, including a $5 million defamation suit against her. Burk couldn’t be reached, but in a previous interview he denied making any threats against her, claiming she lied and faked her injuries.
A rep for the network said, “Golf Channel is very aware of Mr. Burk’s history and legal issues, and is in no way, shape or form trying to take a position on either. This is a series about a compelling individual who is trying to redeem himself and is using golf as a way to do so. Golf Channel, in an effort to be fair, has approached Ms. Johnson about the series and extended an interview offer allowing her to provide her side of the story.”