Ravens Legend Steve Smith Sued in Home-Wrecker Law Case
Baltimore Ravens legendary wide receiver Steve Smith is being sued for $100,000 in civil court under the so-called "home-wrecker law.''
The plaintiff is the husband of a member of the Ravens' marching band, who has accused Smith of being entangled in a months-long affair with his wife.
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Antonio Martinez is filing the suit under North Carolina's "alienation of affection" law - known colloquially as the "home-wrecker law". The suit is being filed in Mecklenberg County Superior Court.
In order to prove "alienation of affection," Martinez must establish that Smith "disrupted genuine love and affection" that existed in his marriage. The statute allows a spouse to sue a third party, seeking damages for interfering with and destroying a marriage. There is no burden of proof that a sexual relationship occurred, only that there was wrongful conduct that led to the end of the marriage.
North Carolina is one of six states that have such a law, with the others being South Dakota, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico and Utah.
Allegations of the affair between Smith and Martinez's wife surfaced in February, when Martinez posted screenshots of messages supposedly sent between the pair.
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"The opening shot was fired late Friday night, when an X account replied to a video of Smith golfing with a straightforward question of whether his wife knew he was having an affair with the account owner's wife.
"The account proceeded to post a screengrab of alleged sexts between Smith and the accuser's wife and quoted it in replies to a number of news outlets and larger accounts, including both of Smith's former teams and Kanye West for some reason." Yahoo Sports reported in February.
The former received-turned NFL Network analyst met the marching band member in September during a production for an episode of 'The NFL's Most Interesting Jobs with Steve Smith.' The pair apparently kept in touch, messaging back and forth for months, talking about their days, families and sexual fantasies with one another, per the lawsuit.
Martinez allegedly called Smith to confront him, telling Smith "You've been (expletive) my wife, bro."
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"Whatcha gotta say for yourself?" Asked Martinez.
According to the lawsuit, Smith responded with "I'm sorry."
Smith has been married to his wife Angie since 2000, and the pair have four children together.
Related: Jets Top Draft Pick Key To Unlocking Justin Fields QB Ability
Related: Stephen A. Smith Defends Shannon Sharpe Amid Allegations
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