Facing sexual misconduct allegations, NFL kicker Justin Tucker has responded by accusing The Baltimore Banner of committing “journalistic failures.”
Thursday afternoon, The Baltimore Banner published a report alleging Tucker engaged in “inappropriate behavior” at four high-end spas and wellness centers. In the report, six different massage therapists accused Tucker of sexual misconduct which included exposing his genitals, brushing his penis against two of them, and leaving what they believed was ejaculate on the table. The alleged incidents occurred between 2012-16, where two spas say they banned him from returning, according to the report.
“I’ve told people about this over the years, and they either act like it’s hot goss[ip] or a joke,” one therapist who worked on Tucker in 2016 told The Banner. “But it was really degrading.”
Tucker, who has been a popular member of the Baltimore Ravens since 2012 and is widely regarded as one of the best kickers in NFL history, denied the allegations. In a statement, Tucker accused The Baltimore Banner of committing “journalistic failures” in their reporting.
— Justin Tucker (@jtuck9) January 30, 2025
The Banner says they received a tip on Jan. 9 that started the investigation, which included collecting the accounts of six different massage therapists. Tucker alleges the outlet is “deliberately misconstruing events as nefarious and were relying on third party speculation to create the false, preconceived narrative” in an effort to generate clicks.
The Ravens and the NFL did not comment in the initial report by The Banner, but league spokesman Brian McCarthy has since issued a statement on the allegations.
“We 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.”
In 2022, the NFL suspended quarterback Deshaun Watson for 11 games after dozens of women accused the quarterback of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Watson was never charged criminally, settling 23 of the 24 civil lawsuits he faced.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com