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"I maintain I did not act inappropriately at any point before, during, or after a professional bodywork treatment session, nor have I ever been told I am unwelcome at any massage therapy provider. These claims are simply not true."
Those are the words of Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker in an exclusive statement to OutKick, his first public comments to the media since the initial accusations.
Since January, a total of 16 massage therapists have accused Tucker of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior during sessions from 2012 to 2016 at eight spas in and around Baltimore. Initially, six accusers were included in a report from the Baltimore-area publication The Banner on January 30.
NFL investigators were in Baltimore last week speaking to some of the accusers, ESPN reports. The Ravens could not be reached for comment for this story, but earlier this week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, general manager Eric DeCosta called the allegations "serious and concerning."
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Tucker and his legal counsel, led by Joe Terry of Williams & Connolly's First Amendment practice group, deny all allegations and say they are determined to clear Tucker's name.
Justin Tucker ‘Devastated' By Accusations
Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) celebrates a 54 yard filed goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. (Barry Reeger-Imagn Images)
"Throughout the last four weeks, I have spent countless hours replaying every interaction I have had with bodywork professionals over the last thirteen years," Tucker told OutKick. "I can assure whoever is reading this that I have never intended to disrespect anyone, cross any boundary, or make anyone feel uncomfortable in any way whatsoever."
"It devastates me to know that anyone I have worked with would not have felt respected and valued as a professional, but more importantly as a person, and to anyone who has felt otherwise, I am sorry," Tucker said in his statement, the full text of which can be found below. "I want you to know I am committed to ensuring that everyone I interact with continues to feel that I respect them and care about them as a human being."
Tucker said he began outside massage therapy in 2012 during his rookie season in Baltimore. He said at the time that the Ravens did not provide the services. After years of visiting local spas for his treatments, Tucker says he signed up for in-house massage therapy from RPMotion Therapy, LLC, in the summer of 2016 after buying a home in the suburbs of Baltimore. He and his wife, Amanda, had previously lived in the city in a condo at Ritz-Carlton Residences – where a therapist recently accused him of "exposing himself" during a massage session in 2013.
"G. gave Tucker two massages at the Ritz-Carlton in 2013 and said he repeatedly exposed himself and that she employed an intense massaging technique hoping to make him stop. ‘It was like a game’ for him, she said, adding that he exposed himself ‘more than I could count." She ended the first massage early, she said. After the second massage, he left behind what she believed to be ejaculate. ’It wasn’t sweat. You could tell what it was,' she said," the Baltimore Banner reports.
In response, Tucker's counsel references two sworn declarations from the previous owners of the Ritz-Carlton spa, disputing the accusations levied, which Outkick obtained.
Aug 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker sits on the bench during the second half Atlanta Falcons at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
‘A Pleasure To Work With You’
His lawyer also cited Tucker's meticulous tax documents that the kicker kept of each massage session he attended, which they say show him attending the various salons in question well after his alleged misconduct. OutKick wasn't shown these documents.
In one specific instance, Tucker's counsel said the kicker appeared for 14 different sessions at The QG salon in downtown Baltimore after alleged misbehavior. His legal team provided an email statement from one of the accusers telling him it had been "a pleasure working with you" when he canceled his membership on January 5, 2016.
Through an attorney, the owner of QG, Craig Martin, told The Banner he was unaware of any complaints against Tucker.
Tucker and his attorney also deny claims from the salon owners of the now-closed Studio 921 and Ojas that he was banned over his alleged behavior. According to the Baltimore Banner, the owner of Apothecary was the only other spa owner of the eight to confirm hearing about a specific allegation cited against Tucker.
Per his lawyer, Tucker attended the Ojas seven times in 2014 and Studio 921 18 times from 2013 to 2015. Tucker was accused by a therapist at Studio 921, according to The Banner, of "[being] erect for most of the massage session and regularly sought to expose his genitals."
The Banner reported that he was banned from the establishment, but Tucker's lawyers pointed out that Studio 921, which closed in 2023, posted a promotional picture of Tucker on the website Trip Advisor a year after he was allegedly banned. The post remained on the site throughout the life of the business, as seen here.
Perry told OutKick that Tucker's wife, Amanda, had recommended several of the salons to her spouse as they frequently scheduled couples' sessions. Amanda called all the allegations against her husband "false" in an exclusive statement to OutKick:
"The false allegations against Justin have caused so much hurt to our family. I believe my husband, and I love and support him fully."
Accusers' Lawyers Respond
Baltimore Ravens' Justin Tucker celebrates kicking a field goal during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
When asked about the details provided by Tucker's attorneys, Michael Belsky and Catherine Dickinson, the SBWD law firm partners representing most of Tucker's accusers, provided us with the following statement:
"We do not represent the spa owners, only the affected therapists. Whether the owners acted appropriately and in protection of their respective employees when faced with complaints is a question better directed to the them."
Justin Tucker's full statement to OutKick:
From the moment I first arrived in Baltimore in 2012, I felt embraced and supported by this amazing community, which I have come to love so much. Both on and off the football field, I have strived to reciprocate that love and support through hard work and dedication to my sport. I have sought to treat everyone with kindness, dignity, and respect, and to set the type of positive example that makes my family proud to call me a father, husband, and friend and encourages members of this community to be proud to call me one of their own.
It is with all of that in mind that the allegations against me are so shocking and heart-breaking. I maintain I did not act inappropriately at any point before, during, or after a professional bodywork treatment session, nor have I ever been told I am unwelcome at any massage therapy provider. These claims are simply not true. Throughout the last four weeks, I have spent countless hours replaying every interaction I have had with bodywork professionals over the last thirteen years. I can assure whoever is reading this that I have never intended to disrespect anyone, cross any boundary, or make anyone feel uncomfortable in any way whatsoever. It devastates me to know that anyone I have worked with would not have felt respected and valued as a professional, but more importantly as a person, and to anyone who has felt otherwise, I am sorry. I want you to know I am committed to ensuring that everyone I interact with continues to feel that I respect them and care about them as a human being.
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Since I began working as a professional athlete, I came to recognize the importance of receiving consistent professional bodywork. By investing my time and resources to restorative bodywork — with licensed therapists at respected places of business and at my home — during the times where I’m most active as a football player, I have experienced considerable health and athletic performance benefits. Physical therapy and massage therapy are a large part of why I’ve been consistently healthy and available during the football season. In fact, both my wife and I continue to count so many of those professionals as our friends. I absolutely respect the massage therapy profession and more so the individuals who work as massage therapists.
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