Steve Smith Sr. has been flagged for some alleged off-field unsportsmanlike conduct and it could cost the former NFL star big.
Anthony Martinez, who earlier this year publicly accused Smith of having an affair with his wife, has filed a lawsuit against the former two-time all-pro receiver.
Martinez is seeking more than US$100,000 from Smith in a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County Superior Court, according to the Charlotte Observer.
The suit has been filed under the state’s “homewrecker law,” which allows a spouse to sue the person “impeding on and breaking up a marriage’s love and affection.”
North Carolina is one of six American states that allow injured parties to sue under such law.
In February, Smith was called out on social media by Martinez in a since-deleted posts on X.
Martinez claimed that Smith had been having sex with his wife, Nicole — who he said is a member of the Marching Ravens, the Baltimore Ravens’ marching band.
The account also shared screenshots of explicit text messages allegedly exchanged between Smith and Nicole.
WARNING: Explicit language
A video also was posted to the account in which it appears Smith is confronted over the phone about the affair.
The individual recording the video accuses the man on the other end of the call of having sex with his wife and asks, “What do you have to say for yourself?”
After a pause, the man on the other end says, “Sorry.”
The man recording goes on to press for a further response, but the line sits silent before the call ends roughly a minute later.
Smith played 16 seasons during his illustrious NFL career, with the first 13 as a member of the Carolina Panthers. He racked up 1,031 receptions for 14,731 yards and 81 TDs in a career that saw him make the Pro Bowl five times. He played his final three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before retiring in 2016.
Smith, who currently serves as an analyst for NFL Network, has been married to his wife, Angie, since 2000 and the couple have four children together.