Former Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith is facing a civil suit under North Carolina's 'homewrecker law', according to reports.
Smith, now 45 and an occasionally controversial analyst for NFL Network, is being sued by former Maryland police officer and US Army veteran Tony Martinez for allegedly "impeding on and breaking up a marriage’s love and affection" by having an affair with Martinez's wife, Nicole.
The accusation behind the $100,000 lawsuit is that Smith engaged in an affair with Nicole Martinez, a member of the Baltimore Ravens marching band.
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According to the New York Post, Tony Martinez went public with his allegations in February by calling out Smith in a series of now-deleted posts on X, formerly Twitter.
Martinez apparently posted some explicit text messages between Smith and his wife before calling the former WR and confronting him directly.
"Martinez is asking for over $100,000 from Smith in a civil lawsuit in North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County Superior Court," reports the Post.
"Martinez’s wife and Smith reportedly met at her job with the Baltimore Ravens marching band, with the NFL Network analyst joining the band in September to film an episode for 'The NFL’s Most Interesting Jobs with Steve Smith,' according to the lawsuit."
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It is reported that the complaint filed by Tony Martinez and his attorney states that the couple split up on the day the alleged affair was discovered.
Officially known as 'alienation of affection', the law allows a person to sue their spouse's affair partner for damages.
According to a local legal firm, the complainant must "prove that, prior to the commencement of the affair, he or she had a loving marriage, that the loving marriage was diminished or destroyed by the paramour’s conduct, and that it was that wrongful conduct that led to the diminishment of the marital relationship."
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"[Tony] and Nicole Martinez met on Tinder on June 6, 2020, during the pandemic. The couple welcomed a baby in April 2021 before getting married in September 2021," reports Vibe.
"Reports have concluded that Steve and Nicole began their forbidden fling during his time with the Baltimore Ravens.
"Nicole met Smith while working with the Baltimore Ravens Marching Ravens band."
Five-time Pro-Bowler Smith is also married and has four children with his wife. He has not commented in public about the allegations of the legal proceedings.
Topics: NFL
Chris Nee