Ravens kicker Justin Tucker denies claims of sexual misconduct towards massage therapists - The Guardian

[Guardian sport]

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has denied allegations accusing him of sexually inappropriate behavior towards massage therapists.

The Baltimore Banner spoke to six massage therapists at four spas and wellness centers around the Baltimore area. The accusations include claims that Tucker exposed his genitals, brushed some of the therapists with his penis and left ejaculate on treatment tables. Two spas told the Banner they had banned Tucker from returning. One therapist who spoke to the Banner described Tucker’s alleged behavior as “really degrading”. Another said that “I can’t watch sports anymore. I see his face everywhere.”

The alleged incidents are said to have taken place between 2012 and 2016.

In a lengthy statement posted to X on Thursday, Tucker described the allegations as “unequivocally false” and said the Banner was guilty of “journalistic failures at every turn”.

Tucker’s attorneys also denied the claims. “Mr Tucker has never behaved inappropriately during any massage therapy session, and certainly never in the manner described … Any suggestion to the contrary is a fictitious and utterly baseless claim,” attorneys Thomas A Clare and Steven J Harrison told the Banner.

The NFL said in a statement that it “first became aware of the allegations from the reporter investigating this story as they were not previously shared with the NFL. We take any allegation seriously and will look into the matter.”

The women told the Banner that they had not reported the allegations to the police.

Tucker is considered by many to be the greatest kicker in NFL history, and holds the records for longest field-goal and career field-goal percentage. He has been named to the Pro Bowl seven times since he joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012. The 35-year-old is one of the few kickers to become a well-known name in the US, and is also known as an amateur opera singer.

The allegations are similar to those faced by quarterback Deshaun Watson. In 2022, the NFL suspended Watson for 11 games after more than 24 women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct that occurred while he was getting massages. Criminal charges were never brought against Watson, but he reached settlements in 23 of the 24 civil lawsuits that he was facing.