Tyreek Hill Denies Abuse Allegations in Testimony at Florida Civil Trial
Update: Hill testified for nearly two hours Thursday and denied hitting, shoving, spitting on or pulling the hair of his estranged wife. He acknowledged telling her he could get people to hurt her, which he said was in the heat of the moment. Cross-examination begins Friday.
Lakeeta Vaccaro, the wife of free agent receiver Tyreek Hill, testified for more than three hours Tuesday in a Florida civil trial in which she is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for assault and battery. The case is part of the couple's divorce proceedings, and her allegations cover January 2024 through April 2025.
What did she allege?
Vaccaro described several incidents under oath, including Hill grabbing her neck in January 2024, attempting to punch her pregnant stomach in July 2024, spitting in her face when she was nine months pregnant in November 2024, and punching her computer during an argument in April 2025. She broke down several times during her testimony. These are allegations in a civil case, and Hill has not been found liable.
How did Hill's side respond?
His attorneys focused their cross-examination on inconsistencies in the timeline of the January 2024 events, noted that police at one scene observed no other visible marks, and asked why she had not photographed injuries more thoroughly. Cross-examination continues Wednesday. Hill pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation in 2014 and completed probation.
Where does the NFL stand?
The league said the allegations remain under review under the personal conduct policy. Hill's agent said this week that Hill could sign with a team within days, with the Chiefs in contact.
What did Hill say on the stand?
He denied each of the physical allegations and gave his own account of the disputed incidents, including a May 2024 episode in which he said Lakeeta Vaccaro asked to get out of the car, he let her, and he waited for her car service and followed it home. He acknowledged telling her he could "get people to hurt her," describing it as said "in the heat of the moment" with no intent to act. "I wish I could have handled that situation a whole lot better," he said. "I don't want to talk to my wife like that." He also said the final argument before the divorce filing was about withdrawals from a family account. Vaccaro's attorney cross-examines him Friday. The NFL's review under the personal conduct policy continues.
Sources
- ESPN: Tyreek Hill's wife recounts assault, verbal abuse at trial
- ESPN: Tyreek Hill testifies in assault and battery civil trial in Miami
