Alison Melder, Through Lawyer, Denies Affair With Bobby Petrino

Alison Melder, the Arkansas Young Republican and former model who spent at least two months heavily corresponding with Bobby Petrino, has gone underground since we identified her from Petrino's phone records last week. She's emerged, and she's got representation. An email from Jeff Hagood, of Hagood, Tarpy & Cox in Knoxville.

"Unfortunately, my client has been drawn into a firestorm that is simply sad. While she did meet Coach Petrino last fall and kept in touch; the truth is that Alison has never in her life been alone with Coach Petrino. She is not a public figure, and any suggestion that she was involved in an extramarital affair with Coach Petrino is false. And it is actionable."

We've called and emailed Hagood for more details—so many questions, we have!—but this appears to be the extent of Melder's statement at this time. Hagood is a longtime confidant of and former attorney for Phil Fulmer, so this is pretty much the most SEC representation Melder could have found.

EARLIER: Over Two-Month Period, Bobby Petrino Exchanged 200 Messages With Former "Miss Motorcycle Mania" Bikini Model