Steve Smith Faces “Homewrecker” Suit Over Affair With Married Woman

Steve Smith Sr., former NFL wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens, is now being sued by a man who confronted him for an alleged affair with his wife.

Per New York Post, Anthony Martinez has filed a lawsuit against Smith, seeking over $100,000 in damages under North Carolina’s “homewrecker law,” which allows a spouse to sue the person they believe is responsible for breaking up their marriage. Filed in Mecklenburg County Superior Court, the case is determined to prove that Martinez’s marriage still had genuine affection before Smith’s alleged interference.

The initial revelation came to light in February when Martinez shared screenshots of explicit messages allegedly exchanged between Smith and his wife, Nicole, from a X account bearing Martinez’s name. The since-deleted images quickly began circulating on social media, and things, however, got crazier when Martinez attempted to phone Smith directly to confront him.

“You’ve been f**king my wife, bro,” Martinez could be heard saying during the heated exchange, to which Smith allegedly responds with a simple, “I’m sorry.” However, the voice that sounded like Smith Sr.’s fell silent for the rest of the call, as Martinez continued to berate him for his actions, telling him to “man up” and take full responsibility for his alleged behavior. Listen below.

According to the lawsuit, the two first crossed paths when Smith visited Nicole’s job with the Baltimore Ravens’ marching band to film a September episode of his show, The NFL’s Most Interesting Jobs with Steve Smith.

Following the alleged scandal, the controversy caught the attention of Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, who both weighed in on their Night Cap podcast. “You never confront the individual because Steve Smith owes you no loyalty,” Johnson said with Sharpe in agreement. “You talk to your wife, you check your wife… Understand who you’re marrying. Human nature is undefeated.”

The Club Shay Shay podcaster chimed in, praising Smith’s character. “I’ve known Smitty 20 years. He was just at my party at the Super Bowl, had a great conversation with him. I love the guy. Hard nosed, the way he plays, X, Y and Z. But bro, you need to take that up with your wife. Smitty owes you no loyalty.”