NFL to probe allegations of misconduct by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker at Baltimore-area massage spas. (AP File)
- NFL to investigate allegations of inappropriate behavior by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker at massage spas.
- Tucker denies accusations, calling them 'unequivocally false' and skewed out of proportion.
- Ravens and NFL spokesmen state they take the allegations seriously and will monitor the situation.
Share
BALTIMORE — The NFL will look into allegations that Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker behaved inappropriately toward massage therapists at four spas and wellness centers in the Baltimore area, a league spokesman said.
The Baltimore Banner detailed the accusations in a lengthy report Thursday. The news website said it spoke to six massage therapists who recounted firsthand experiences with Tucker from 2012 to 2016. Several therapists said they ended Tucker’s sessions early or refused to work on him again, and managers from two spas said they banned him from returning.
“We first became aware of the allegations from the reporter investigating this story as they were not previously shared with the NFL,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. “We take any allegation seriously and will look into the matter.”
Allegations Against Tucker
Tucker is accused of exposing his genitals, brushing two therapists with his exposed penis and leaving what they believed to be semen on the massage table after three treatments, according to the Banner.
Tucker posted a statement on social media calling the allegations about him in the Banner story “unequivocally false.”
“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,” he said.
Tucker’s NFL Career
Tucker, 35, just finished his 13th season in the NFL, all with the Ravens. He’s achieved stardom both league-wide and among Baltimore fans in a way that’s rare for a kicker, and his 66-yard field goal in 2021 remains the longest successful kick in league history.
In 2022, Tucker agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2027 season. That deal included $17.5 million guaranteed.
“We are aware of the Baltimore Banner’s story regarding Justin Tucker as well as his response,” a Ravens spokesman said. “We take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.”
Related Story: Welcome to the Mobile Age: NFL Conference Title Games Filled With Dual-Threat ...
Spa Responses and Tucker’s Denial
According to the Banner, a representative of the spa chain Ojas said Tucker was “immediately terminated as a client” in 2014 after “a massage therapist reported an incident that allegedly occurred during a massage therapy session with Justin Tucker.” Owners of Studio 921, which is now closed, said through an attorney they “took immediate and decisive action to ban this individual from our business and services to ensure a safe environment for all.”
In his response, Tucker 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.”
The allegations have some similarities to unrelated accusations made against another NFL player, quarterback Deshaun Watson. More than two dozen women accused Watson of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for Houston. After being traded to the Cleveland Browns, Watson missed the first 11 games of the 2022 season after an independent arbitrator determined that he had violated the league’s personal conduct policy.
RELATED TOPICS:
Stock Market Today: Apple Leads as Wall Street Shaves Off Nearly All Its Loss for the Week
23 minutes ago
Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Joseph Richard Alvarado
36 minutes ago
Fresno County Felony DUI Cases Drop Sharply in 2024, DA’s Data Shows
4 hours ago
Fresno Man With Multiple DUIs Gets 30 Years for Crash That Killed Two
16 hours ago
JOANN Fabrics and Crafts to Close Visalia Distribution Facility, Shedding 209 Jobs
16 hours ago
Kings County Sheriff Says Arrested Homicide/Kidnapping Suspect Had Fled to Mexico
17 hours ago
Man Rescued After Falling 25 Feet Into Drainage Pipe in Fresno
18 hours ago
Italy Blocks Access to Chinese AI Application DeepSeek to Protect Users’ Data
19 hours ago
US Inflation Lingers, Tariffs Threatened by Trump Could Nudge Prices in Wrong Direction