Justin Tucker is facing some troubling sexual misconduct allegations, but the Baltimore Ravens kicker wasted no time vehemently defending himself.
In a story that was published by The Baltimore Banner on Thursday, six different massage therapists who worked at spas in the Baltimore area accused Tucker of “inappropriate sexual behavior.” The alleged incidents took place between 2012 and 2016.
Five of the six female massage therapists say Tucker “asked them to massage his pelvic region or inner thighs while he had an erection,” according to the report. Two of the therapists accused Tucker of brushing against them with his exposed penis.
Shortly after the story was published, Tucker issued a lengthy statement calling the allegations “unequivocally false.” The 35-year-old also ripped The Baltimore Banner for publishing “desperate tabloid fodder.”
“Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism. I have never before 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 massage therapy session or during other bodywork,” Tucker wrote. “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. …
“… Once I reviewed the newspaper’s allegations against me, it was apparent that the newspaper was deliberately misconstruing events as nefarious (which were not) and were relying on third party 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.”
You can read the full statement:
— Justin Tucker (@jtuck9) January 30, 2025
The allegations against Tucker are similar to those that led to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson being suspended in 2022.
Tucker just finished his 13th NFL season, all of which have been spent with the Ravens. He is one of the best kickers in league history, though the seven-time Pro Bowl selection had some uncharacteristic struggles this year.
