The NFL has suspended Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston for three games in connection to a 2016 incident during an Uber ride in Scottsdale.
A female Uber driver claims that during a March 2016 ride, Winston groped her while she was driving him through a fast food restaurant.
The NFL released the following statement on the suspension on Thursday. You can read the full release here.
ABC15 originally reported on the claims in November 2017.
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The NFL is reportedly investigating allegations that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Jameis Winston, groped a female Uber driver in 2016, according to BuzzFeed News.
In an article posted on Friday, BuzzFeed says a letter was sent from the NFL's special counsel for investigations to the Uber driver on Thursday.
The incident reportedly happened in Scottsdale, Arizona about 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 13, 2016. The female Uber driver, identified as Kate, told BuzzFeed News that when she arrived to the location to pick up her passenger, a group of men told her that she would be driving around someone famous. Jameis Winston sat down in the front passenger seat and the Uber driver says right after she started driving, Winston began behaving poorly.
The incident happened at a drive-thru Mexican restaurant after Winston reportedly asked to stop for food. The driver says Winston reached over and "grabbed my crotch." Kate told BuzzFeed News she was shocked and asked "what's up with that?"
Uber released the following statement to ABC15: "The behavior the driver reported is disturbing and wrong. The rider was permanently removed from the app shortly after we learned of the incident."
Ronald Darby of the Philadelphia Eagles released the following statement on the matter:
“I felt the need to come forward and clarify some inaccurate accounts of the evening of March 13, 2016 when myself, a friend and Jameis Winston took an Uber ride in Arizona. There were three of us in the car, not just one as has been reported. Myself and Jameis were in the backseat. I am confident that nothing inappropriate in nature happened in the car that evening and Jameis did not have any physical contact with the Uber driver. The accusations are just not true.”
Winston released the following statement on social media:
A news organization has published a story about me regarding an alleged incident involvin...https://t.co/6ggxGWuRsB
— Jameis Winston (@Jaboowins) November 17, 2017
