Allegations Against Xavier Worthy, Justin Tucker Are Reminder Not To Immediately Believe All Women | Burack

On March 7, authorities arrested Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy on a felony domestic violence charge after his fiancée, Tia Jones, claimed he choked her over a dispute. The arrest immediately stirred speculation about how many games the NFL could suspend Worthy next season, as if he was certainly guilty of abuse.

Hours later, a Texas district attorney dropped the charges entirely, determining that the complainant's allegations were not credible after reviewing the case and speaking to a witness.

Jones responded to the court decision by filing a protective order application days later, alleging that Worthy had serially abused her and "choke-slammed" her in December after she caught him cheating.

In now the fourth change of events, Worthy has filed a lawsuit against Jones. According to TMZ, the lawsuit alleges Jones abused Worthy and fabricated claims of domestic violence in an effort to "extort a home, money, cars, and other valuables" from him.

"Worthy alleged in the docs that he's actually the real victim ... claiming Jones was the one who became violent -- and ‘extortive’ -- after he says he found out in late February that she had cheated on him," TMZ details.

"Worthy claims he asked her repeatedly to leave their home after the alleged infidelity ... and even offered to get her an apartment to allow her time to get back on her feet."

In the course of three weeks, Worthy has been depicted, in order, as an abuser, a victim, a serial abuser, and now a serial victim. In reality, outsiders have no idea which label most accurately suits him-- if any. 

And that ought to serve as a hard reminder of why the media and society must do a better job before convicting an accused athlete in the court of public opinion.

Kansas City Chiefs player Xavier Worthy has been arrested on a domestic violence charge. What are the details of the case? (Credit: https://judicialrecords.wilco.org/PublicAccess/JailingDetail.aspx?JailingID=420775)

Because of the scale of their fame, professional athletes are uniquely vulnerable to unproven allegations. Leagues like the NFL allow themselves to punish a player even without criminal charges or adequate evidence under personal conduct policies, essentially for causing a distraction. Likewise, sponsors reserve the right to part ways with athletes, for no other reason than being the subject of bad publicity. 

Notably, the Los Angeles Dodgers released star pitcher Trevor Bauer in 2021 over allegations of sexual assault and strangulation. Two years later, after both parties dropped their civil lawsuits, Bauer published text messages in which his accuser allegedly admitted to a plan to frame him. 

"Next victim. Star pitcher for the Dodgers," the accuser allegedly sent in a group chat to her friends.

Still, Bauer remains without a job in Major League Baseball. Further, the various media outlets that smeared him have had little to say since. The seemingly false allegations against Bauer cost him his career and reputation.

Xavier Worthy almost experienced the same fate. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker might still experience that fate.

In January, multiple female massage therapists accused Tucker of sexual misconduct during various spa sessions. The sports media responded by almost unanimously finding Tucker guilty of the allegations. Former ESPN host Bomani Jones said he "believes" the accusations against Tucker are legitimate and called for the Ravens to cut him.

"I believe that what is being alleged about [Tucker] is true," Jones said earlier this month on his podcast.

On what is Bomani basing his belief? Unfortunately, he never explained or answered that question in an email inquiry from OutKick. By all accounts, Jones is just guessing. He also erroneously compared him to Deshaun Watson, who was accused of sexual assault. Tucker was not. 

In fact, there's no evidence he did anything wrong.

Justin Tucker and wife, Amanda.

Last month, OutKick obtained several documents from Tucker and his legal team that raised suspicions about the validity of the allegations. Specifically, one of the accusers sent the kicker an email asking him to return to the spa years after she alleged he sexually harassed her. Several owners of the spas at which Tucker is accused of misbehavior also provided us with sworn declarations of his innocence.

Tucker maintains the allegations against him are false.

"I maintain I did not act inappropriately at any point before, during, or after a professional bodywork treatment session, nor have I ever been told I am unwelcome at any massage therapy provider," Tucker told OutKick in a statement. "These claims are simply not true."

Again, we can't say for certain whether Tucker is guilty or not. No one in the media can. And that's the point. People in the media have convicted him without any evidence.

Worthy, Bauer, and Tucker are just three examples. Who knows how many athletes the media has smeared over unproven accusations in recent years? Surely, that number is higher than just three.

Put simply, #MeToo has caused the press and sports leagues to reflexively side with female accusers over male public figures. But accusers are not always honest. And one man's actions have nothing to do with another. 

The motto of "Believe all women" was always unsound and dangerously simplistic. 

Maybe Xavier Worthy is a domestic abuser, as alleged. Perhaps Justin Tucker is a sexual harasser, as alleged. But maybe they are not. Perhaps they are among an increasingly long list of public figures falsely accused of misbehavior toward women.

It's okay to reserve judgment until those answers are clear. Waiting for the facts doesn't suggest you are lenient about domestic violence or sexual harassment, as if you need to establish your stances on such issues.

On the surface, immediately siding with a female accuser doesn't make you a good guy. It advertises you as a sucker, open to being played like a fiddle.