The NFL world was rocked on Thursday afternoon by serious allegations against one of its biggest stars, Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who is widely considered the best kicker in league history. Tucker found himself embroiled in controversy as “Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by six massage therapists in the Baltimore area, according to an investigation by The Baltimore Banner,” reported ESPN. In response, Tucker released a lengthy statement fiercely denying the accusations, declaring, “The allegations in The Baltimore Banner article about me are unequivocally false. Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism. I have never been accused of misconduct of any kind, nor have I acted inappropriately in front of massage therapists or during a therapy session. I have never received complaints from a massage therapist, been dismissed from a session, or told I was unwelcome at any spa or business.”
He continued, “The article mischaracterizes innocent or ambiguous interactions, altering them to the point of distortion while presenting vague insinuations as facts. This is desperate tabloid fodder. It is no surprise that the paper’s engagement with me was marked by journalistic failures at every turn. Upon learning that they were writing this article, they refused to reveal the claims they intended to make against me. It wasn’t until I hired a leading defamation law firm to write to the paper that they disclosed their plans. Even then, they offered me little time to respond, clearly indicating a lack of interest in my input.”
Tucker asserted, “After reviewing the allegations, it became evident that the newspaper purposefully misconstrued innocent events and relied on third-party speculation to fabricate a false narrative aimed at generating clicks. The publication had already crafted this sensational profile before attempting to speak with me or any massage professionals I’ve worked with over the past decade, making no effort to interview them until prompted by my attorney—they simply did not want to hear their perspectives.”
He added, “I strive to be considerate and respectful in all interactions with the community I cherish. It’s devastating to learn that anyone could perceive me as offensive. I maintain that I did not act inappropriately before, during, or after professional bodywork sessions. It is never my intention to offend or harm anyone. I support processes that allow claims to be thoroughly investigated, but to protect my family, I cannot let these false allegations go unchallenged. Simply put, these claims are false and deeply hurtful to both me and, more importantly, my family.”
However, while Tucker vehemently denies these allegations, reports suggest there may have been knowledge of questionable conduct dating back to 2021. The Daily Mail’s Eric Blum highlighted three tweets regarding Tucker being banned from spas in the Baltimore area, and a controversial Reddit post from a year ago has also resurfaced.
