Former All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. said he would not apologize for a "private matter" when asked how he handled an alleged affair with a Baltimore Ravens dance team member. "I still and won't release any apology because I don't need to apologize on a private matter to a whole bunch of strangers," Smith, 46, said in an appearance on "The Pivot" podcast on Tuesday, November 18. Tony Martinez, husband of Ravens dancer Nicole Martinez, first accused Smith of having an affair with his wife in a string of social media posts in February that included screenshots of alleged text messages as proof. He also uploaded a recording of a phone call between him and a man alleged to be Smith, in which Tony confronts him about the affair and Smith seems to apologize. Tony later sued Smith for $100,000 in damages under North Carolina's homewrecker law, which permits a spouse to take legal action against the person who their partner cheats with. The lawsuit accuses Smith of "willfully, maliciously and intentionally" seducing Nicole during a 2024 encounter in Baltimore, according to the New York Post. Stephen A. Smith Admits He 'Couldn't Have Sex' After Tim Tebow Playoff Win Smith's lawyers later filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, saying that Tony had filed for divorce from Nicole nine months before the alleged affair took place, per the Charlotte Observer. The outlet reported that the divorce paperwork said the couple had been separated since June 2023. Tuesday marked Smith's first public comments on the controversy. "I grew up old school, mind your business," he continued. "We could be neighbors, but don't bring your ass to my yard knocking on my door talking about what's going on. Because you ain't going to like who and what's in the hand of the person that's opening the door." Smith has been married to his wife, Angie, since 2000, when he was a senior at the University of Utah. The couple share four children. Patrick Mahomes' Dad Claims Account Was Hacked After Bills Fans Drama "So, people have their comments," Smith said. "Here's what I can guarantee you. I gave authority to my kids. I ain't going to never say nothing bad about their mother. Ain't got to. And they got authority from me. Check me. So I'm never going to mention or say what is or isn't because for a whole bunch of strangers that are watching this with their opinion, it don't really matter because you don't know." "What I won't do, is I won't explain myself - because I was wrong. But I also won't defend myself. And I'm not going to walk around apologizing to everybody because that ain't how it's supposed to work. All I can really do is allow time to take its course." Smith's son, Peyton, addressed the accusations via Instagram in February, days after the controversy came to light. NFL Families Get Real About the Cost of Football: Uniforms, Fines and More "Your kind words and prayers are felt and appreciated. God's got us," he wrote alongside a photo of himself, his siblings and their mom. "I won't take much time feeding into the negativity, but to those sending hateful messages to my family, I hope you take time to reflect that you have nothing better to do with your day than to message hate to a stranger." Smith played 16 seasons in the NFL from 2001 to 2016, spending 13 with the Carolina Panthers and his final three with the Ravens. He was named First Team All-Pro twice and made five Pro Bowls during his career.