May 3, 2025
Former NFL Star Steve Smith Sr. Sued By Man Who Alleges Affair With Wife
Smith reportedly met the Baltimore Ravens marching band member, Nicole, while filming for an NFL Network show.
Former Carolina Panthers wideout and current NFL analyst Steve Smith Sr. is being sued for allegedly having a monthslong affair with a Baltimore Ravens marching band member. The band member’s husband, Antonio Martinez, filed the lawsuit, and he is pursuing legal action under the “alienation of affection” law.
The former NFL player is facing an over $100,000 civil lawsuit. The suit was filed on April 29 at the Mecklenburg County Superior Court in North Carolina and accuses Smith of engaging in a marriage-wrecking affair with Nicole Martinez of the Ravens’ marching band, according to the Charlotte Observer.
North Carolina’s “alienation of affection” law is unique and unavailable in many states. Known as the “homewrecker law,” spouses can sue a third party for reportedly “interfering with and destroying a marriage’s love and affection.”
According to the lawsuit, the former Panther met the marching band member on the set of NFL Network’s “The NFL’s Most Interesting Jobs with Steve Smith.” After meeting during the filming, Smith and the band member reportedly kept in touch and ended up exchanging sexual text messages with one another.
The lawsuit alleges that the relationship evolved, and Nicole met up with Smith in his hotel room in January 2025 around the Ravens’ playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
Smith is also connected to Baltimore as he played for the Ravens for a stint in his NFL career.
Before the lawsuit, the rumors surrounding the affair were brought to a head when the woman’s husband took to X, publicly accusing Smith of an affair.
The post began as a reply under one of the NFL analyst’s golfing videos and asked whether Smith’s wife knew he was having an affair with another married woman. Martinez’s account continued to post a series of screenshots showing explicit text messages sent between the Raven’s band member and Smith.
The post tagged several news outlets and a handful of Smith’s current sponsors, such as Smith’s former NFL teams, Yeti Coolers, and TaylorMade.
A video showing the man reportedly calling the former NFL player to confront him about the affair was also released on X.
In response to being confronted, Smith allegedly can be heard responding, “I’m sorry” during the call.
Smith is married to Angie Smith and has four children with his spouse.
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