More massage therapists come forward with accusations regarding Ravens K Justin Tucker
A total of 16 message therapists are accusing Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior. The Baltimore Banner reports that seven new accusers have come forward, saying that "Tucker acted inappropriately at some of the city’s most luxurious spas." "Their allegations are largely similar to those of the women who came forward earlier, including […]
A total of 16 message therapists are accusing Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior.
The Baltimore Banner reports that seven new accusers have come forward, saying that "Tucker acted inappropriately at some of the city’s most luxurious spas."
"Their allegations are largely similar to those of the women who came forward earlier, including that he had an erection for most the massage, intentionally and repeatedly exposed his genitals and brushed some of the therapists’ thighs with his fingers," the Baltimore Banner wrote. "One of the seven new women said he left what appeared to be ejaculate on the massage table after his session.
"The women also provided similar details that The Banner had not previously reported. One said Tucker made intense eye contact throughout the massage while exposed, and others said he used his erect penis to move the sheet."
This all is said to have happened between 2012 and 2016, marking Tucker's first five years in the NFL.
When the Baltimore Banner released their first story with the allegations on January 30, Tucker released a statement denying it.
"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, and I have never been accused of acting inappropriately in front of a massage therapist or during a message therapy session or during other bodywork. I have never received any complaints from a massage therapist, have never been dismissed from a massage therapy or bodywork session, and have never been told that I was not welcome at any spa or other place of business.
In accusing me of misconduct, the article takes innocuous, or ambiguous, interactions and skews them so out of proportion they are no longer recognizable, and it presents vague insinuations as fact. This is desperate tabloid fodder.
It is no surprise that the paper's interactions with me were marked by journalistic failures at every turn. When I first learned that the newspaper was writing this article, they refused to reveal the full claims they were planning to make against me. It wasn't until I was forced to hire the leading defamation law firm in the U.S. to write to the paper that they finally revealed what they were planning on writing. Then, when they did finally provide some of this information, they gave me next to no time to provide a response. It is clear why – they had no interest in what I (or anyone else) had to say.
Once I reviewed the newspaper's allegations against me, it was apparent that the newspaper deliberately misconstruing events as nefarious (which were not) and were relying on third paper speculation to create the false, preconceived narrative about me that they believed would generate clicks. The newspaper had already written this false, salacious profile well before ever attempting to speak to me or any of the bodywork professionals I have worked with closely for the better part of the last decade. The newspaper made no effort to interview these key witnesses until prompted to do so by my defamation attorney – because they did not want to hear what they had to say about me.I have always made a conscious effort to be considerate and respectful in all of the interactions with the community that I love so you much. It is devastating for me to learn that anyone would feel I was offensive in any way. I maintain I did not act inappropriately at any point before, during, or after a professional bodywork treatment session. I would never intend to offend or hurt anyone ever. As a matter of principle, I respect when individuals come forward to report misconduct of any kind. I support a process that allows claims to be properly investigated. But, for the sake of myself and my family, I cannot allow false claims to go unchallenged. I cannot be any clearer. These allegations are false and incredibly hurtful to both me and, more importantly, my family," Tucker wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The NFL released a statement when the initial allegations were made.
"We first became aware of the allegations from the reporter investigating this story as they were not previously shared with the NFL," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said via ESPN. "We take any allegation seriously and will look into the matter."
A Ravens spokesman also said, “We take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.”
Based on these allegations and the ongoing investigation, Tucker could be found in violation of NFL and team rules, which prohibits behavior that “undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL.” With that, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said back in 2022 that the team has a “zero-tolerance policy” toward domestic violence when asked about Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
