“I don’t need to apologize ”: Steve Smith Sr addresses alleged Baltimore Ravens dance team member affair scandal

Steve Smith Sr. is addressing an alleged affair with a Baltimore Ravens dancer.

Asked how he handled the situation, the former All-Pro said he owed no public apology to anyone.

“I still and won’t release any apology because I don’t need to apologize on a private matter to a whole bunch of strangers,” Smith, 46, said during his sit-down on The Pivot podcast on November 18.

The entire issue had been lingering since February, when Tony Martinez went online and accused Steve Smith Sr. of having an affair with his wife, Nicole Martinez, a member of the Ravens dance team. Tony posted screenshots he claimed were text messages, and he also put out a recording of a phone call in which he confronted a man alleged to be Steve Smith Sr. In that recording, the voice responded with what sounded like an apology.

According to Vibe, Antonio (Tony) and Nicole’s relationship began after meeting on Tinder on June 6, 2020. They welcomed their child in April 2021 and got married that September. Tony later filed a lawsuit against Smith, seeking $100,000 under North Carolina’s homewrecker law. The complaint alleged that Smith “willfully, maliciously and intentionally” seduced Nicole during a 2024 encounter in Baltimore, as reported by the New York Post.

Steve Smith Sr. broke silence on affair allegations as lawyers sought to dismiss case

Steve Smith Sr's attorneys later pushed back in court, filing a motion to dismiss the case. They argued that Tony Martinez had already filed for divorce from Nicole nine months before the alleged affair, according to the Charlotte Observer. The outlet reported that the paperwork listed their separation date as June 2023.

Tuesday served as Steve Smith Sr's first public response to the situation.

“I grew up old school, mind your business, we could be neighbors, but don’t bring your ass to my yard knocking on my door talking about what’s going on. Because you ain’t going to like who and what’s in the hand of the person that’s opening the door,” he shared.

Steve Smith Sr has been married to his wife, Angie, since 2000, when he was still finishing school at the University of Utah. They have four children together.

“So, people have their comments, here’s what I can guarantee you. I gave authority to my kids. I ain’t going to never say nothing bad about their mother. Ain’t got to. And they got authority from me. Check me. So I’m never going to mention or say what is or isn’t because for a whole bunch of strangers that are watching this with their opinion, it don’t really matter because you don’t know,” he explained.

“What I won’t do, is I won’t explain myself – because I was wrong. But I also won’t defend myself. And I’m not going to walk around apologizing to everybody because that ain’t how it’s supposed to work. All I can really do is allow time to take its course,” he added.

Steve Smith Sr's son, Peyton, also weighed in months earlier. As Us Weekly reported, he shared a message on Instagram in February shortly after the story went public.

“Your kind words and prayers are felt and appreciated… God’s got us… but to those sending hateful messages to my family, I hope you take time to reflect that you have nothing better to do with your day than to message hate to a stranger,” he wrote.

In a lighthearted moment on air, Steve Smith Sr addressed the lawsuit shadowing his personal life

On August 22, 2025, The Shadow League also reported that Steve Smith Sr was still caught in the legal aftermath of an alleged affair with a married woman, with a lawsuit accusing him of contributing to the collapse of that marriage.

That didn’t stop him from leaning into humor on live television. While calling the Panthers–Steelers game in Charlotte, Smith sat in the booth as a colleague read a Bojangles promo promising fans a free chicken sandwich for scanning a QR code. A bit of playful chatter followed about expanding the giveaway and whether Smith should foot the bill. He didn’t miss the cue:

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“Man, ya’ll know my situation, I can’t afford to be helping anybody right now!”

His partners in the booth broke out laughing and took a moment before finding their rhythm again.

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