Retired former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate is looking to set the record straight when it came to his abrupt departure from the franchise in 2014.
During an appearance on former teammate K.J. Wright’s podcast, which premiered on Monday, July 17, the 34-year-old addressed those “untrue rumors” regarding an alleged affair with quarterback Russell Wilson‘s then-wife, Ashton Meem.
Co-host Gee Scott asks Tate, “I’m ready for you to put this bed, right now, once and for all,” and the former Super Bowl champ did not hold back.
“There was a rumor out there that I was not coming back to the Seahawks because Ashton, Russell’s wife at the time, had an affair with me which was completely not true,” Tate said. “In fact, my wife now (Elise Tate), and Ashton, were best friends and still are really good friends. In fact, Ashton came to our wedding.”
Tate and Elise, who got engaged in 2015, tied the knot in Cabo San Lucas in 2017. They share three children together. Wilson and Meem were high school sweethearts who wed in 2012 and divorced in 2014. The Broncos quarterback then married Ciara in 2016. Wilson and the singer have three children, Future Zahir, 9, Ciara’s son from her previous relationship with rapper Future, Sienna, 6, and Win, 3.
“Russell and I had had conversations about his future, you know, in regards to that,” Tate continued. “So when I heard that, I was like that’s kinda creative and kinda funny and I feel like I was never defended properly and it kind of made me angry because now, everyone’s just coming at me completely sideways. It was a whole big situation and I just felt like a scapegoat in a way. I was bitter for years, ya’ll. Years.
Wright notes that Tate is not the first former teammate to sound off on Wilson’s character. “A few dudes that came in on record and off the record and have said what they said about No. 3,” Wright said.
“When you play this game and go through this journey, it’s all about the brothers. And when it’s all said and done, [Wilson] got a lot of making up to do. He got a lot of phone calls to make… and that’s the God honest truth.”
Golden Tate Says Russell Wilson Told Him He Didn’t Believe the Affair Took Place
The Seahawks’ former No. 60 overall pick from the 2010 NFL draft said the affair rumors took a toll on him and his now-wife.
Tate said on the podcast, “Every time I saw Russell, I’d be so angry. Like ‘How would you let this happen?’ I used to let you come over to my in-law’s house, for your birthday and my birthday, and we’d cook meals for you. And you don’t come to bat for me when something like this comes up? Knowing it’s the furthest thing from the truth? It just really, really hurt.”
“It made zero sense for it to have ever happened. Like contract year? That’s what I’m going to do? And of course, my wife and Ashton are still really good friends.”
Tate said he’s since spoken to Wilson, who told the former receiver that he believes no affair took place. “So I’m now okay with it… But just go look at the timeline of his life, and maybe you can put some dots together.”
This isn’t the first time Tate has tried to dispel the rumors. He wrote an essay in The Cauldron in January 2015 that read:
Unfortunately, I have since been harassed on social media over a multitude of reasons about why I left, none of which are true. It was profoundly disappointing, not only that these ‘fans’ were circulating rumors about me, but more so how my reputation became tarnished in the process.
I did not have an affair with Russell Wilson’s wife, nor did I have anything to do with his divorce. That is laughable for anyone who knows us.
Golden Tate Said His Exit From Seattle Had to Do With Money
Tate, who played 11 seasons in the NFL, tallying 695 receptions for 8,278 yards, said the real reason for his exit from Seattle was financial.
“It just kind of suddenly came to an end,” the Notre Dame alum said. “I’m just thinking it’s money time and… I’m just looking at what other guys on the team have made. I’ve been more productive than Percy who got a 60 bag, more productive than Sid who got a 42 bag, and I’m like alright, I should get something similar. And I’m not trying to break the bank, because I want to win first and foremost.
“I think I made a comment about taking a hometown discount that was completely blown out to promotion and used again me… And then I got a call that we had a really nice offer and that was that. I started packing (for Detroit).
Ahead of the 2014 NFL season, Tate signed a five-year, $31 million contract with the Lions.
