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Tag: allegations

Ex-Dolphins lineman Jonathan Martin walks back bullying allegations against teammate that caused NFL scandal

Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin is walking back his bullying accusations against his former teammate, Richie Incognito, which caused quite the scandal in 2013.

“I never believed for a second I was being bullied,” Martin told ESPN. “It’s a story that I’ve been trying to fix for 10 years.”

Incognito was suspended by the Dolphins in 2013 after reports that he bullied Martin to the point where the latter stormed out of the team’s cafeteria as a result of what was said.

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Miami tackle Jonathan Martin (71) and guard Richie Incognito (Samuel Lewis/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Martin, a second-round pick by the Dolphins in 2012, was in his second NFL season when the bullying controversy surrounded him and Incognito.

The Dolphins later announced that Incognito was suspended for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

The league eventually got involved, retaining lawyer Ted Wells to investigate the incident, which found that Incognito, Mike Pouncey and John Jerry had all been engaging in bullying toward Martin.

RICHIE INCOGNITO DENIES ROLE IN BULLYING SCANDAL, BLAMES ‘DEMONS’ FOR EX-TEAMMATE BEING OUT OF NFL

The NFL’s report on the matter also said that Martin checked himself into a hospital and his mother needed to be flown across the country to be with him during that time.

But now, Martin is blaming his parents for the situation becoming as widely known as it is today.

“I had a situation with my teammates that I wasn’t super happy about,” Martin told ESPN. “But my mother had her own read on the situation.

“I hadn’t even told my coaches, hadn’t told anyone. And suddenly it’s on ESPN, right?” he continued. “I didn’t believe any of the stances I was taking, right, where I’m this victim. I wasn’t a victim, right? And again, it’s been a point of consternation.

Richie Incognito of the Oakland Raiders leaves the field after a game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 22, 2019, in Minneapolis. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

“My mother maybe in her mind – I can’t read her mind – she thought she was doing the right thing.”

Incognito, who missed the second half of the 2013 season and the entire 2014 campaign due to the scandal, responded after seeing Martin’s new words on the matter.

“He couldn’t cut it in the NFL so he quit and his mom blamed me,” he said, bluntly on X. “Legacy media pushed this narrative long and far. Too bad it was all a lie! They lied to protect his money. He quit…the team had every right to claw back that money. His mom started the bullying narrative with @espn @AdamSchefter so that @MiamiDolphins wouldn’t go after his signing bonus!”

While Martin’s mother, Jane, did not speak with ESPN for the interview, his father, Gus, did say his piece.

“His mom and I did strongly intervene,” he said. “To make sure he was protected.”

Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin is shown during the game between Stanford and USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. (Ric Tapia/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Gus Martin also played an alleged voice from Incognito, which was left for his son at the time. The man on the phone who is allegedly Incognito threatens Jonathan Martin, using graphic language including racial slurs.

“Hey, what’s up, you half-n—– piece of s—,” Incognito allegedly says. “I saw you on Twitter, you been training 10 weeks. I’ll s— in your f—ing mouth. I’m going to slap your f—ing mouth, I’m going to slap your real mother across the face. F— you, you’re still a rookie. I’ll kill you.”

Martin would eventually get traded to the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason after the bullying allegations were brought to light. However, he only played 15 games there before retiring after going to Carolina Panthers training camp the year after.

Meanwhile, Incognito signed with the Buffalo Bills after his suspension was lifted by the league. He spent three seasons in upstate New York before joining the then-Oakland Raiders.

Miami Dolphins lineman Jonathan Martin (John Rivera/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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During an appearance on “HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” in 2019, Incognito denied ever bullying his former teammate, blaming Martin’s “mental health issues and his demons” for being out of the league.

Incognito added, “I fit the bill. Hey, racist, homophobic, whatnot. What I’m saying was, we were close, personal friends. It wasn’t factored into, ‘Hey, this is guy talk, these are two alpha males talking to each other.’ Was some bad s–t said? Absolutely. But was this a case of bullying? Absolutely not.”

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
Canadian Christian women’s basketball team punished over disputed abuse allegations by trans opponent

As women athletes in the U.S. have been granted protection from transgender opponents by President Donald Trump’s latest executive order, women athletes in Canada are still dealing with a nationwide system that protects trans athletes.

The women’s basketball team at Columbia Bible College (CBC) – an evangelical Mennonite Bible College in Abbotsford, British Columbia – is now facing sanctions by its athletic conference, the PACWEST, over disputed allegations of abuse against a transgender opponent earlier this season.

CBC women’s basketball head coach Taylor Claggett is currently suspended, and the school has lost its right to host the upcoming PACWEST championships after a recent investigation by the conference into an incident that occurred in a game against Vancouver Island University (VIU) on Oct. 25.

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“PACWEST has publicly stated that it has concluded its investigation. CBC is deeply disappointed with PACWEST’s decision. We do not believe that a proper process was followed or that the results were fair. As a result, we are taking steps to have PACWEST’s decision reviewed. We will not be commenting further at this time,” read a statement CBC provided to Fox News Digital.

During the Oct. 25 game, VIU trans athlete Harriette Mackenzie alleged Clagett “cornered one of our athletic staff and went on a tirade about how I shouldn’t be allowed to play.” Mackenzie made these allegations in an Instagram post on Oct. 30.

Mackenzie alleged she was also deliberately fouled to the ground by a CBC player.

“I got two-hand chucked to the ground by No. 13 without a play on the ball in sight, then head coach Clagett can be seen applauding in support,” the trans athlete said.

Clagett posted her own statement on Instagram, claiming that Mackenzie’s statements were inaccurate.

“My intention has nothing to do with a specific athlete, but instead, the safety of female athletes in their sport,” she wrote.

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When the two teams were set to play each other again in a pair of games in early January, VIU refused to participate, citing the alleged Oct. 25 incident. VIU even requested PACWEST not to penalize its team for forfeiting, in a statement it provided to Fox News Digital.

After news of the forfeit, CBC provided a statement to Fox News Digital denying Mackenzie’s allegations.

“This was surprising news to us,” the statement read. “CBC stands for safe play for all. Accusations that CBC, its coaches, players, and fans are a safety threat are simply untrue and misinformed.”

A letter written by the CBC players, obtained by Fox News Digital, condemned VIU’s team for “personal attacks,” “defamatory comments” and even “comments that incite violence,” against their coach.

“Videos and letters posted by members of the VIU women’s basketball team over the past three months have directly violated multiple rules stated in Article 17.2 of the manual. Various posts have included ‘personal attacks,’ ‘defamatory comments,’ ‘lack of respect towards the PACWEST,’ and led to ‘comments that incite to violence and/or hatred’ directed at our coach,” the letter read.

“Any and all allegations made by VIU players regarding our team and coach should have been directly communicated to PACWEST officials alone, they should not have been uploaded publicly to social media.”

The letter even called the VIU players’ statements “misinformation.”

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“The attack on Coach Claggett’s character, and the character of our team, over the past three months has been based on misinformation and one side of a complicated scenario,” it read.

Since June 2017, all places within Canada must comply with the Canadian Human Rights Act, equal opportunity and/or anti-discrimination legislation prohibit discrimination against gender identity or gender identity expression. This law protects the inclusion of all trans athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.

Trump’s recent executive order in the US states that any publicly-funded institution that allows trans athletes to compete in girls’ or women’s sports will lose its federal funding.

Trump has also repeatedly suggested that Canada join the U.S., potentially as the 51st state.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 10, 2025
How this key senator decided to back Hegseth after last-minute allegations

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., whose vote cemented Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation last month, opened up about the effort to corroborate last-minute allegations against President Donald Trump’s nominee.

“Anytime you have an allegation and somebody is willing to put it in sworn testimony, you owe it to the process to review it and not just dispose it out of hand,” the North Carolina Republican told Fox News Digital in an interview.

“And that’s exactly what I did. And then I arrived at the conclusion that I’d support Pete’s nomination”

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In an interview with Fox News Digital, Sen. Thom Tillis walked through his thought process in the hours leading up to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation vote. (Reuters)

Hegseth was confirmed after a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance, making the final margin 51-50.

Three Republicans — senators Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against Hegseth.

Given the Republican conference’s 53-seat majority, nominees can only afford to lose three votes, assuming all Democrats are opposed and each senator is in attendance.

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Tillis’ decision on whether to back Hegseth was not disclosed until minutes before he cast his vote. If he became the fourth Republican to oppose Hegseth, the confirmation would have failed.

The senator asked Hegseth several additional questions after the new allegations surfaced and the hours until his confirmation vote wound down.

The nominee’s response letter, which proved to be to Tillis’ satisfaction, was shared on X by Hegseth during the vote.

Speaking on the subject with Fox News Digital, the senator explained he had “developed a reputation for completing due diligence” and that he takes his role seriously.

According to Tillis, he agreed to speak with Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle, before she filed a sworn affidavit alleging that he made his ex-wife Samantha fear for her safety, in addition to claims of alcohol abuse.

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Danielle is not the sister of Hegseth’s ex-wife. She is the former wife of his brother.

The call between the senator and Danielle was about “what conceptually would be in the affidavit,” Tillis said.

“And I said, ‘If that’s true, and it could be corroborated, then it would carry weight,’” Tillis recalled.

However, he said the lack of corroboration left the allegations without credibility.

“I could never speak directly to a person who could corroborate the testimony of one person,” he said.

Tillis cemented Hegseth’s confirmation with his vote. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

After Hegseth’s confirmation, it was reported that sources said Tillis had “personally assured” Danielle that if she provided the affidavit, it would be significant and might persuade Republicans to oppose the defense secretary nominee, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Asked about the report, Tillis emphasized that he gave the caveat that it must be corroborated in his conversation with Danielle.

“Corroboration means at least two people have to be involved, and they have to be involved in the event, not a bystander. And I was unable to. I attempted to do it, but I was unable to get to that point. And, therefore, I had to make the same judgment that I did with the other allegations,” he explained.

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Hegseth was sworn in shortly after being confirmed. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Tillis wouldn’t divulge whether Danielle or her attorney suggested she had been a witness to the alleged events.

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“I’m not going to get into those discussions because I do know that my conversation was leaked a couple of hours after I had it on Sunday. Clearly, I would have no reason to do it. But I don’t leak private conversations. I don’t even discuss them at any level of detail,” he said.

Multiple requests for comment to Danielle’s attorney, Leita Walker, from Fox News Digital went unanswered.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

February 1, 2025
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.

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker arrives before a game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan/Imagn Images)

The allegations were first revealed in a report by The Baltimore Banner.

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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.”

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (9) kicks the ball during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan/Imagn Images)

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“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.

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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.

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker warms up against the Kansas City Chiefs before a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Denny Medley/Imagn Images)

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.”

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January 30, 2025