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Tate Addresses Rumors About Him And Wilson's Wife, Him And Harvin

By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak

CBS DETROIT - Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate made a splash on the field in his first season following free agency, seamlessly transforming into a capable number one target for quarterback Matthew Stafford during a span of games when star wide receiver Calvin Johnson was injured.

Tate came to the Lions from the Seattle Seahawks, who won the Super Bowl in Tate's last season there. When Tate did not return to Seattle, there were rumors of contention between him and teammates. There were reports he had an affair with the wife of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and also that, in an unrelated incident, he got into a fight with wide receiver Percy Harvin.

Tate has addressed those matters before, but he did so again Friday in a first-person essay titled, "Silence Isn't Golden," in which he cautioned fans to not believe everything they read about players. He concluded the article by saying he hoped players got to know him better by reading the story.

In the essay, Tate explained reasons he left Seattle - a chance to play with Johnson and Stafford, for one - and then debunked the more scandalous reasons that have been suggested.

"I did not have an affair with Russell Wilson's wife, nor did I have anything to do with his divorce," Tate wrote. "That is laughable for anyone who knows us. His ex-wife, Ashton, is still best friends with my girlfriend. Russell and I were good friends when I was in Seattle, on and off the field — he knows the rumors about me were unfounded, damaging to my reputation, and an attack on my character. Anyone who circulated that rumor was just plain irresponsible.

"There was also a social media frenzy concerning me and Percy Harvin," Tate continued. "To set the record straight, I was not punched by Percy during Super Bowl week last year, nor did I have a black eye, as was speculated on by various Internet reports. I even saw a photo of my face that was photoshopped with a mark on it! Percy and I did have a confrontation, yes, but no punches were thrown, and it certainly never rose to the level that was erroneously reported by certain outlets. I highly respect his level of play. He's one of the best in the game!"

Tate said the accusations have changed how he approaches social media, noting he does not post as much as he used to. He said he has learned not to take social media attacks too seriously and believes people would probably regard him differently if they knew about his faith and his commitment to making a difference in the community.

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