SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FLA. — Tyreek Hill is asking a judge to sanction Keeta Vaccaro and her attorney over accusations that he says improperly characterize his contact with a potential witness as felony witness tampering. Hill stated in a court filing that his estranged wife has produced no evidence that he threatened, intimidated, or improperly rewarded anyone expected to testify in their divorce case.

Hill argues that Vaccaro and her attorney went too far by publicly accusing him and his legal team of conduct that could amount to felony witness tampering. His filing states that Vaccaro has identified "no threat, no misleading statement, and no offer of any benefit," and argues that communicating with a potential witness does not by itself establish intimidation or tampering. Hill denies trying to influence Espinal or any other witness.

Much of the dispute involves Crystal Espinal, Hill's former partner and the mother of three of his children. Vaccaro raised the Espinal issue in an August filing seeking additional answers and documents from Hill. She alleged that Hill had not spoken with Espinal in more than five years before one of his attorneys contacted her roughly a week before her deposition.

Vaccaro said the attorney told Espinal there \"needs to be trust\" and that they \"needed to bridge the gap.\" The filing stated that Hill later traveled to Arkansas to visit Espinal and their three children. Court documents claimed Hill took a flight to Arkansas to visit Espinal and their children for the first time in two years.

Vaccaro asked whether Hill had offered, promised, or given Espinal any money or other consideration. She connected those questions to Espinal's deposition testimony, which she characterized as favorable to Hill. Vaccaro claimed Espinal spoke favorably about Hill in the deposition despite previously accusing him of child abuse in 2019.

Espinal had previously accused Hill of assaulting her while she was pregnant. Hill denied the accusations that he assaulted Espinal while she was pregnant. Vaccaro's filing did not establish that Espinal had been paid or threatened.

In April 2025, Keeta Vaccaro filed for divorce from Tyreek Hill, alleging multiple incidents of domestic violence during their marriage. Later in 2025, Vaccaro accused Hill in court filings of multiple instances of domestic violence during their marriage, with the first alleged incident occurring in January 2024. Hill denied the domestic violence allegations and, through his attorney, described them as part of a financial \"shakedown.\" No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the domestic violence accusations.

Hill claims Vaccaro has used his visits with their child to try to get additional money from him and to try to reconcile, leading him to ask for his grandmother to be present during visits with his daughter. Vaccaro has used the divorce discovery process to seek records connected with earlier incidents involving Hill. In May, NBC Sports reported that Vaccaro was seeking material related to the 2019 investigation involving Hill's son.

Hill was not charged in the 2019 case involving his son, and the NFL did not suspend him following its investigation. The NFL opened a Personal Conduct Policy review after the allegations became public. NBC Sports reported in February 2026 that the NFL review remained active, and reported again in May that it was still pending. Hill and Vaccaro are still litigating the divorce.

What's New

In August 2026, Keeta Vaccaro filed a motion seeking additional discovery from Tyreek Hill, including details about his renewed contact with Crystal Espinal prior to her deposition. Crystal Espinal's deposition testimony was described by Keeta Vaccaro as favorable to Tyreek Hill, though no evidence of payment or threats was presented in court.

Tyreek Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury during Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season, which may have impacted his public appearances and legal proceedings. In 2019, Tyreek Hill was investigated by the NFL for alleged involvement in a child abuse case involving his son, though no charges were filed and he was not suspended. Crystal Espinal, Hill's former partner and mother of three of his children, previously accused him of assault while she was pregnant, a claim Hill denied in court filings.

Why It Matters

The request for sanctions shows the intensifying legal conflict between Hill and Vaccaro as their divorce proceedings continue. The court has not made a publicly reported finding that Hill intimidated Espinal, paid her for favorable testimony, or committed witness tampering, nor has it ruled that Vaccaro knowingly made false accusations. The outcome of the sanction request remains uncertain, as the judge has not been reported as granting Hill's request.

The dispute occurs alongside an ongoing NFL Personal Conduct Policy review of Hill, which remained pending as of May 2026 according to reports. The league opened the review after domestic violence allegations from Vaccaro became public. No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the domestic violence accusations, and Hill continues to deny the allegations as part of a financial shakedown.