Deven Thompkins, a former Bucs receiver, has filed a complaint in Lee County against his separated wife for making malicious and defamatory comments in two TikTok tweets about domestic abuse.
Thompkins, who was freed shortly before the claims surfaced, is seeking more than $50,000 in damages. According to the complaint, he signed a one-year contract with the Bucs worth $985,000 in February.
Maria Castilhos, Thompkins’ wife and mother of his two children, claimed in a video posted earlier this month that he physically beat her, injuring her face and arm. She also shared photos of the injuries she claimed she had when Thompkins attacked her in the backseat of a car on February 14, 2023.\
The complaint claims that Castilhos “blackmailed” Thompkins, threatening to “fraudulently portray him as a perpetrator of domestic violence unless (Thompkins) conceded to (Castilhos’) monetary demands.” The complaint also refers to her charges as “fictitious statements, which have now been viewed more than three million times by members of the public.”
As of this filing, the TikTok posts had earned around 2 million views in total.
Thompkins, who is seeking a jury trial, disputed the allegations through his attorney, Brett R. Gallaway. The couple, who have two children, including a Down syndrome boy, are going through a divorce and custody battle.
“We believe the detailed and concerning allegations in this complaint speak for themselves and say volumes,” Gallaway said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times.
“While we respect and support all survivors of domestic violence who speak out, the facts in this case reveal a disturbing blackmail scheme in which Ms. Castilhos threatened Deven with fabricated domestic violence allegations unless he met her financial demands for additional alimony in a pending and contentious divorce proceeding.
“We look forward to litigating this case and bringing to light the truly fictitious nature of these claims so Deven can return to the football field.”
Thompkins, the Bucs’ kick returner and receiver the previous two seasons, was waived just six days before his wife made her charges.
According to Thompkins’ complaint, Castilhos was the aggressor who started the physical conflict on February 14, and the injuries to her face and arm that were shared on social media were “inauthentic and had been altered using photo editing software.”
Furthermore, the complaint alleges that three days after the confrontation, Thompkins’ agreed to transport Castilhos to and from an elective plastic surgery procedure, and that the medical staff at the surgery facility found no damage to Castilhos’ face or elbow. It also claims that video evidence exists, shot from inside Thompkins’ car as he drove Castilhos home from the surgery, revealing no visible injuries, lacerations, or bruises on her face.
The complaint also alleges that in a September 2023 text exchange between the parties, Castilhos stated, “I’m done blackmailing you. You have my word.”
Castilhos said in the 8½-minute video that she regularly caught Thompkins cheating on her during the two years they lived together at Utah State. She said she tried to leave, but he wouldn’t let her. She also referenced “many abusive episodes.”
Thompkins’ complaint alleges that during a reconciliation attempt in or around 2023, Castilhos “made no true effort” to maintain her relationship with Thompkins, and instead took up employment at a strip club and began dating other men.
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