The estranged wife of NFL player Deven Thompkins accused him of spousal abuse in multiple social media posts.
Maria Castilhos, Thompkins’ wife and mother of his two children, accused the wide receiver of abuse in a TikTok video on Monday, just days after he was surprisingly released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
She said in the clip that she is involved in divorce and custody litigation with Thompkins. Court records show the NFL free agent filed for divorce on February 27 in Lee County, Florida, however they make no reference to allegations of physical abuse.
“I’m not going to talk about my divorce and Deven or things related to child custody, because we have a court case going on, so I can’t mention any of that,” Castilhos said in the video. ‘(…) This is strictly going to be the abuse that I have had to endure all these years with proof, because they are calling me a liar.’
He went on to accuse the receiver of “hit me a lot” in the back seat of a car near Fort Myers, Florida, on Valentine’s Day 2023.
NFL free agent Deven Thompkins’ estranged wife (pictured) accused him of spousal abuse
Maria Castilhos, Thompkins’ wife and mother of his two children, shared a post on TikTok
Castilhos shared photos showing injuries to her face and arm that she said she suffered during the incident.
Thompkins denied the allegations through his attorney, Brett R. Gallaway, who responded with accusations of blackmail.
“First and foremost, Deven categorically denies the allegations made against him by his ex-wife, Maria Castilhos,” Gallaway said in a statement, via the Tampa Bay Times.
‘Unfortunately, Deven and Maria have been going through a contentious divorce and child custody battle, and it appears she thought it would help her case by releasing these false and defamatory videos.
‘What he doesn’t mention on TikTok and other social media posts are his written confessions of ‘blackmail’ in relation to demands that Deven pay his increased alimony and other payments. There is clear and significant exculpatory evidence demonstrating that Deven did not physically or otherwise abuse Maria.
‘(…) We hope that he will be completely exonerated after a review of the facts, the background and the clear ulterior motive behind the publication of these videos and fabricated assault accusations.’
Castilhos also detailed his relationship with Thompkins, which began when they were in high school.
She said they became engaged when they were still 17 years old and that she became pregnant with their first child shortly before graduating high school. They later married at the age of 19.
WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT
Castilhos said in the clip that she is involved in divorce and custody litigation with Thompkins.
He accused the receiver of having “hit me a lot” on Valentine’s Day 2023.
Castilhos shared photos showing the injuries to his face and arm he allegedly suffered.
She claimed she caught Thompkins cheating on her several times during their relationship, while they lived together in Utah during her college career at Utah State.
Castilhos also claimed that she tried to leave but he wouldn’t let her and also made reference to “many episodes of abuse.” He admitted that he had no evidence of those incidents.
She alleged that Thompkins once hit her “so bad” that he forced her to move in with her uncle in California.
She and Thompkins had relationships with other people while they were separated before briefly reconciling before the alleged Valentine’s Day incident, according to Castilhos.
“We got back together, we ended up coming to visit our family in Fort Myers,” Castilhos said in the video. ‘Like our family and friends, and we decided that we are going to go to dinner with another couple. My best friend and her boyfriend. So we went to dinner, had some drinks and that’s when she hit me really hard.
Castilhos’ allegations come after the Bucs waived Thompkins with an injury designation on May 30.
Tampa Bay indicated he suffered a minor hamstring strain during voluntary offseason workouts, but coach Todd Bowles said the “door is open” for his return when healthy.
However, Thompkins’ attorney appeared to suggest that his release was due to the allegations.
“Deven would like to thank the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for allowing him the privilege of playing for his hometown team,” Gallaway said.
Thompkins was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an injury designation on May 30.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said ‘door is open’ for his return when healthy
“While he is disappointed that the club released him before more data was available, Deven will comply with any upcoming league investigation.”
Castilhos faced a complaint for misdemeanor assault, stemming from a Halloween party, in November 2022.
She was accused of approaching a woman wearing a ski mask and punching her in the nose, according to the Cape Coral Police Department. Castilhos told police that the woman had begun making derogatory comments about her son having Down syndrome.
The case was dismissed in February 2023.