Ravens' Justin Tucker faces sexual misconduct allegations; kicker slams report
Baltimore Ravens star kicker Justin Tucker was accused in a bombshell report Thursday of sexual misconduct by several massage therapists during a period spanning four years, including his rookie season, when he helped the team win a Super Bowl.
Six massage therapists in the Baltimore area accused the NFL kicker of exposing himself during sessions at four different high-end spas and wellness centers, brushing the alleged victims with his genitals and other acts of alleged sexual misconduct from 2012-2016.
The allegations were first revealed in a report by The Baltimore Banner.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Tucker released a statement through his attorneys Thursday not long after the news broke, calling the allegations "unequivocally false."
"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’s statement said.
"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."
Tucker, a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro during his 13-year NFL career, took aim at the outlet’s reporting, calling it "desperate tabloid fodder."
"It is no surprise that the paper’s interactions with me were marked by journalistic failures at every turn," Turner said. "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."
Tucker accused the outlet of "deliberately misconstruing events as nefarious" and relying on "third-party speculation."
"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."
Fox News Digital reached out to The Baltimore Banner for a response to Tucker's remarks.
According to the report, the accusers said they ended sessions early or refuse to work with Tucker again because of the allegations. The report also says Tucker was banned from returning to two of those spas, a claim Tucker’s legal team denied.
Among the allegations leveled in the report, five women claimed the NFL player was erect during sessions with him and that he fully or partially exposed himself, while others made other accusations of egregious acts.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the NFL said it learned of the accusations from the reporter investigating the story and that allegations were not previously reported to the league.
"We take any allegation seriously and will look into the matter," the statement continued.
The Ravens told Fox News Digital, "We are aware of The Baltimore Banner’s story regarding Justin Tucker. We take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation."
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
