Tag: Therapists

Content warning: This story contains graphic descriptions that may not be suitable for some readers.

Three additional massage therapists are accusing Ravens kicker Justin Tucker of sexually inappropriate behavior, including one woman who said he stroked her inner thigh during a massage and left what she believed to be ejaculate on the table.

In all, nine massage therapists from five high-end spas and wellness centers have shared their accounts with The Banner.

One woman, a former employee of the luxury downtown Baltimore men’s spa The QG, produced what she said was an internal report of her experiences with Tucker from 2015.

“I understand that Justin Tucker is an important client to The QG, but as an employee of The QG who has tolerated the previous interactions with him, I no longer feel safe or comfortable working with him,” she wrote in the 2015 letter reviewed by The Banner on Friday.

The woman, who The Banner is identifying as M. to protect her privacy, is one of three massage therapists from The QG accusing Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior.

These women’s accounts were similar to the allegations The Banner reported Thursday from six therapists who said Tucker’s behavior included exposing his genitals, brushing two of them with his exposed penis and leaving what they strongly believed to be ejaculate on the massage table after three of his treatments. The incidents occurred between 2012 and 2016, they said.

At two spas, Ojas and Studio 921, management said they banned him from returning.

In response to the new allegations, Tucker’s attorneys on Friday again pointed to the NFL star’s lengthy statement on X in which he said he “did not act inappropriately at any point before, during or after a professional bodywork treatment session” and accused The Banner of engaging in “desperate tabloid fodder.”

“I cannot be any clearer,” the statement read. “These accusations are false and incredibly hurtful to both me, and more importantly, my family.”

A Ravens spokesperson said after The Banner story published that “we take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.” The NFL said it will “look into the matter.”

Tucker, 35, is the NFL’s most accurate kicker of all time and the sole remaining Raven from the team’s Super Bowl XLVII win over the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. A spokesperson for the Royal Farms convenience chain since 2015, Tucker is one of Baltimore’s most popular athletes.

In an interview Friday, M. said she had reached out to a reporter at another news outlet soon after the incident in 2015 but ceased communication because she was afraid of retaliation.

“The reason I didn’t go forward with it before was because I was terrified,” M. said. “What if I’m the only one who comes forward? I’m just some girl, and I’m going up against the king of Baltimore.”

In the letter she said she shared with her employer, M. wrote that Tucker “made it a point in previous sessions to expose his erect genitals to me by untucking the drapes, regardless of how many times I have to redrape him and tell him he is messing up the drapes.”

“Additionally, at his most recent appointment, he made it a point to run his fingers along my inner thigh,” she wrote. She also wrote that, after the appointment, she discovered “a large spot of ejaculation on my bottom sheet” where his genitals had been during the massage.

She signed the letter, which was also signed and dated by an individual she said was her supervisor. The supervisor, who no longer works at The QG, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Three people — M.’s sister, former partner and a close friend — told The Banner that M. had described the allegations to them when it happened, including details about her letter to spa management.

Through an attorney, the owner of The QG, Craig Martin, said he was unaware of any complaints against Tucker.

After The Banner contacted Tucker’s representatives about allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior, his attorneys earlier this week produced an email exchange from The QG in which a massage therapist who is not M. told him she had enjoyed working with him as a client.

Tucker had asked to cancel his membership, saying he would be out of town, and the therapist replied: “We are obviously sorry to see you leave The QG, but wish you the absolute best! I have to say it has been a pleasure working with you the past few years.”

“And don’t forget to tell all your coworkers about us : ),” the email continued. “Safe travels and we hope to see you again!”

The woman who sent the email told The Banner that she was The QG’s lead massage therapist and writing such letters to high-profile repeat clients was one of her duties.

During the four years she worked on Tucker as a massage therapist, she said, his actions became increasingly inappropriate.

The massage therapist, who asked to be identified by the initial A. to protect her privacy, said she cried after reading The Banner’s investigation Thursday because it stirred memories of Tucker’s behavior.

“I feel guilty for not speaking up sooner because maybe it could be brought to light sooner,” she said.

Like many of the other massage therapists who spoke to The Banner, A. said Tucker would repeatedly move the sheets to expose part or all of his genitals. Tucker also positioned his hands so that they brushed her thighs during a massage, A. said.

The Banner spoke with another former QG employee who said that A. had described Tucker’s actions to her at the time. A’s husband also said that A. had told him about Tucker’s behavior shortly after they started dating in 2018.

In a statement, Tucker’s lawyers said it is “unremarkable” that he might have become exposed during a massage because athletes often shift around due to the discomfort that accompanies body work.

Tucker’s behavior was well known among some QG massage therapists, A. said.

A. said she never reported Tucker’s actions to The QG’s owner because she did not want to seem weak. “I had that bravado of ‘I got this,’” she said. “I’m not going to let this man have his way with me.”

A. said she was flattered to have Tucker as a client, as were the owners of The QG. “I loved my job,” she said. “I didn’t want to put any negative light on us.”

In contrast, M., who massaged Tucker multiple times during 2015 at The QG, said she repeatedly told managers she was uncomfortable with his behavior.

In their final massage session, M. said, Tucker reached out and ran his fingers along her inner thigh. She said she immediately stopped the massage, left the room and wrote up the incident report.

A third former QG employee, who asked to be identified as T. to protect her privacy, told The Banner she was 19 and a recent graduate of massage school when she worked on Tucker in late 2014 and early 2015. T. said Tucker usually had an erection during massages.

T. said that, after one massage, she returned to the room after Tucker had left and discovered a puddle of sticky fluid on the sheets that she strongly believed to be ejaculate. Both A. and another former QG employee confirmed that T. had told them this account at the time.

M. hired Michael Belsky and Catherine Dickinson of the SBWD Law Firm on Friday. The attorneys said they are now representing six clients who said Tucker was inappropriate with them, including one who has not yet spoken to The Banner.

“Often in cases involving alleged inappropriate sexual behavior, when certain individuals are brave enough to come forward it empowers others to share their experiences,” the attorneys said in an email.