Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is under investigation by the NFL for allegedly groping a female Uber driver’s crotch in 2016, BuzzFeed News reported Friday.
The incident allegedly took place in the early hours of Sunday, March 13, 2016, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where the driver, Kate, was informed by a small group of men that she would tasked with escorting a celebrity home after an evening out. Winston, then 22, was the only passenger in the vehicle, riding in the passenger seat, where he allegedly shouted homophobic slurs at pedestrians.
“I started driving, and right away, Jameis behaved poorly,” Kate told BuzzFeed News. After Winston asked to stop for food, Kate drove to the drive-through of Los Betos Mexican Food, where he then “reached over and he just grabbed my crotch.” Kate claims Winston’s hands were on her privates for 3 to 5 seconds. In shock, she removed his hand and said, “What’s up with that?”
Kate found 6-foot-4 Winston “physically imposing.”
“I mean, he’s an NFL quarterback and I’m 5-foot-6. I’m not prepared for that. So I completely froze,” she recounted.
Both the league and the Buccaneers said they are aware of Kate’s accusations against Winston, with Tampa Bay adding in a statement Friday they “take these matters very seriously” and are “fully supportive” of the NFL’s investigation.
“The League has been informed that you may have been the victim of such a violation perpetrated by Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Jameis Winston,” a letter sent Thursday from the NFL’s special counsel for investigations stated to Kate. “The league takes allegations of this nature very seriously and has opened an investigation into this matter.”
Winston has since issued a statement denying the allegations and explaining his side of the story.
“A news organization has published a story about me regarding an alleged incident involving a female Uber driver from approximately two years ago,” Winston said. “The story falsely accuses me of making inappropriate contact with this driver. I believe the driver was confused as to the number of passengers in the car and who was sitting next to her. The accusation is false, and given the nature of the allegation and increased awareness and consideration of these types of matters, I am addressing this false report immediately. At the time of the alleged incident, I denied the allegations to Uber, yet they still decided to suspend my account.
“I am supportive of the national movement to raise awareness and develop better responses to the concerns of parties who find themselves in these types of situations, but this accusation is false. While I am certain that I did not make any inappropriate contact, I don’t want to engage in a battle with the driver and I regret if my demeanor or presence made her uncomfortable in any way.”
Winston’s rep prefaced the quarterback’s own words with immediate denial.
“We categorically deny this allegation,” stated Winston’s spokesperson, Russ Spielman. “It is our understanding the Uber driver was unable to identify the specific individual who allegedly touched this driver inappropriately. The only reason his name is being dragged in to this is that his Uber account was used to call the ride.”
Spielman also said he does not have a comment on the NFL’s letter, stating, “What you’re hearing is the first time I’m hearing about that.”
Social media posts have confirmed Winston was in the Scottsdale vicinity on March 12, 2016, participating in Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner’s charity flag football event.
Following the incident, Kate filed a complaint with Uber, describing the alleged encounter with Winston. She was told by the transportation platform to “contact law enforcement as soon as possible.” Though the passenger in question has since been barred from the service, Kate, who no longer works for the company, maintains she stayed quiet only to avoid potential backlash.
“I have been empowered by my sisters who have forged this path by speaking up, and I must do my part to make it a little more well traveled,” Kate told the online publication. “If I’m silent, I fear that further harm will come to other women, if it hasn’t already.”
This isn’t the first time Winston has been accused of sexual assault. Erica Kinsman accused the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner of raping her in 2012, while both were students at Florida State. Winston vehemently denied the allegations, settling a civil suit with Kinsman last December.
“He sexually assaulted me, and I have every right to tell the damn truth about it,” Kate said.