PointsBet USA said Friday it was monitoring reports that retired NFL great Drew Brees was struck by lightning in South American while filming a commercial for the sportsbook.

“We are aware of the media coverage regarding PointsBet brand ambassador Drew Brees,” PointsBet USA posted to its official Twitter account. “We are in communication with Brees’ team and will continue to monitor events throughout the coming hours. At this stage we will not be making any further comment.”

ESPN’s Saints team reported said Friday she exchanged text messages with Brees and there was no truth to the report.

“He said he’s good and that he did not get struck by lightning,” she wrote, as rumors began to spread on social media that the story was concocted to advertise PointsBet’s “lightning bets” feature.

Grainy video was posted to Twitter overnight that was shot in the dark, reportedly in Venezuela. It showed a film crew, with Brees on a television monitor, scurrying about in the brief video, with thunder heard in the background and lightning in the area. After a loud clap of thunder, the video went dark.

Estrella de la @NFL @drewbrees fue impactado por un relámpago en el Catatumbo mientras grabábamos un comercial al sur del lago de Maracaibo. Pasó hace unas horas. Más información en breve… pic.twitter.com/b8PQdRpdtN

— Rafael Hernández (@sincepto) December 2, 2022

Brees tweeted on Tuesday that he was heading to “a top-secret location later this week” to shoot a new promotional video for PointsBet USA. He signed with the sportsbook in July 2021.

Brees, 43, retired following the 2020 season — his 20th in the NFL. He threw for 80,358 yards and 571 touchdowns — second only to Tom Brady in both categories — for the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints. A 13-time Pro Bowl selection, he led the Saints to a win in Super Bowl XLIV.

–Field Level Media