Deven Thompkins, the standout return man for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was recently released from the team in a move that surprised many.
While initially waived with an injury designation, emerging reports suggest there might be more complexities to the story.
Thompkins’ wife, Maria Castilhos, has raised serious allegations against him. On May 23rd, she posted a video on her social media featuring a series of photos displaying bruises on her face, elbow, and wrist. Accompanying the images, she expressed her decision to leave the marriage, stating, “he would’ve killed me.”
Subsequently, Castilhos uploaded another video with a caption indicating potential legal threats from Thompkins: “You should be afraid, the NFL will interrogate you. He wants an apology video posted within 24 hours so he won’t sue you for defamation of character.” These videos have collectively garnered over 1.5 million views.
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In a third video, which runs over eight minutes, Castilhos shares more about the alleged abuse without delving into the details of their ongoing custody battle and divorce. This video includes screenshots of conversations with Thompkins’ family and further images of injuries she attributes to the abuse.
These developments are concerning, and while it’s important to uphold the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty, the situation appears to be escalating.
