What does Alabama’s homewrecker law entail? Man sues former NFL player Steve Smith for $100K over alleged affair with his wife 

Former NFL star Steve Smith Sr. is being sued under the homewrecker law by the husband of his alleged mistress.

According to Us Weekly, the lawsuit against the former Carolina Panthers wide receiver was filed on Monday, April 28, in court in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

Antonio Martinez, the plaintiff, is suing Smith, 45, under the state's “alienation of affection law,” also known as the “homewrecker law.” This law allows the aggrieved spouse to sue the third party for breaking up their marriage. Martinez is now seeking $100,000 in restitution in addition to a jury trial. He is also accusing Smith of inflicting emotional distress both intentionally and negligently.

Here's everything we know about the alleged affair between Steve Smith Sr. and Nicole Martinez:

As reported by The Independent, Antonio Martinez previously served as a cop at the San Antonio, Texas, Police Department. His attorney, Christopher Adkins, told the outlet that North Carolina is one of only a few states with such a law, adding that he files “several” similar cases every year.

Adkins claims Martinez was “super heartbroken” upon learning of the alleged affair. He claims that his client, who is a U.S. Army veteran, already suffered from PTSD, and the affair “just devastated him."

“This isn’t some kind of money grab; he really was put in a bad spot, emotionally,” he said. “He’s trying to figure out where to go from here.”

Back in February this year, Martinez also took to X to slam Steve Smith when he penned on X:

“My wife works for the Marching Ravens @Ravens She met Steve Smith Sr at work. Steve Smith has been fu***ng my wife. I got receipts, I got a lot more homie.”

He also uploaded screenshots of allegedly explicit text exchanges between Smith and his wife, as well as a video in which he seemingly confronts Smith via call about the affair. In the clip, a voice akin to the latter's can be heard responding with an "I'm sorry," though it remains to be confirmed if it was indeed Smith.

“You’re sorry? You f***ing knew she was married,” Martinez told Smith on the call, which the complaint says Martinez recorded. “... You're not a f***ing man, bro. All that s**t you do on TV. All that s**t talking you do to other people. Now someone’s got you on the f***ing phone and you can't even f***ing man up?”

Antonio and Nicole Martinez met on Tinder in 2020 and “unexpectedly” found "love and friendship." They share a son and five others from past relationships.

As reported by The Independent, the complaint states that Martinez uncovered the alleged affair on February 22, “right after [he] and [his] wife had just engaged in intimacy," adding that she immediately conceded to sleeping with Smith.

“He rolled over and looked and her phone is blowing up with Steve Smith’s number, sending texts late at night,” Adkins told The Independent.

The pair split up the same day. Before Martinez discovered the alleged affair, the complaint claims he and Nicole “were happily married with no intentions to separate."

The complaint also claims Smith and Nicole got intimate as recently as January 10, 2025, when the former was in Baltimore to cover a Ravens game.

Trending

At the time of writing, Steve Smith's lawyers have yet to issue a statement pertaining to the allegations.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback