A personal relationship dispute involving Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson moved into the public spotlight this week after his ex-fiancée, Laila Thompson-Wainer, posted a TikTok describing what she says happened on the day he proposed.
Thompson-Wainer’s video spread quickly across sports and pop-culture accounts, with several outlets summarizing her claims and noting that Johnson has not responded publicly as of February 26, 2026.
What follows reflects what reputable outlets have reported so far, what remains unverified, and why stories that originate on social media often leave major gaps that the public can’t fill responsibly.
What Thompson-Wainer Alleged in the Viral TikTok
In her TikTok, Thompson-Wainer described the engagement as a “happy” day on the surface—she recalled a scenic proposal and a celebratory dinner afterward—before pivoting to her central allegation: she says she later learned Johnson contacted an ex-girlfriend with sexually explicit messages on the same day he proposed.
Multiple reports say she presented the claim as a “story time” focused on healing and closure rather than revenge. Sporting News quoted her framing of the video as an attempt to help other women feel seen and supported.
TMZ reported that the video included screenshots that Thompson-Wainer described as evidence of messages sent before and after the proposal. TMZ also reported that the messages contained explicit sexual language; this article won’t reproduce that language.
As of today, no outlet cited in this coverage has independently authenticated the screenshots or confirmed the underlying communications through third-party records.
Who Tez Johnson Is
Tez Johnson plays wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers drafted him in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft (pick No. 235) after his college career at Troy and Oregon.
During his rookie NFL season, Johnson appeared in 16 games and finished with 28 receptions for 322 yards and five receiving touchdowns, according to ESPN and other major stat providers.
Johnson also drew attention in college for his connection to NFL quarterback Bo Nix, who has publicly described Johnson as family. (This background often appears in mainstream profiles, but it does not relate directly to the current allegation.)
Timeline: From Proposal Day to a Viral Allegation
Here’s the timeline as reported across outlets:
Thompson-Wainer identified the proposal day as February 21, 2025, in her account of events, according to TMZ’s summary.
Sports Illustrated’s lifestyle coverage reported the couple publicly announced their engagement on March 3, 2025, posting photos online.
On February 26, 2026, Thompson-Wainer’s TikTok gained traction widely as aggregation accounts reposted clips and summaries, and entertainment/sports sites amplified the story.
That sequence matters because it underscores the key limitation: the allegation describes events from a year ago, and the public currently relies on a single party’s narrative and supporting screenshots shown in a social video.
What Evidence Exists Publicly (and What Doesn’t)
At the moment, the “evidence” visible to the public consists of what Thompson-Wainer chose to share in her TikTok and what outlets repeated from it. TMZ said she included screenshots of alleged messages and described them as proof of inappropriate contact around the proposal.
That structure creates several unanswered questions that outsiders cannot resolve without direct access to the devices, accounts, or carrier/platform records involved:
Screenshots can reflect real messages, but they can also omit context (timelines, prior threads, message edits, account spoofing, or selective cropping).
Even if messages existed, the public still can’t confirm whether they reflect a physical relationship, a history that continued during the engagement, or something else entirely. The word “cheating” can mean different things to different people in relationships, and headlines often compress that nuance.
No credible report has shown a statement from Johnson, his agent, or the Buccaneers that verifies or disputes the screenshots. Sporting News explicitly noted the absence of a response at the time of publication.
For now, responsible reporting treats this as an allegation that originated on social media rather than an established fact.
Why the Story Spread So Fast
The modern sports news ecosystem rewards speed and virality. Sporting News embedded a repost from a high-following NFL aggregation account, which helped move the story beyond TikTok audiences into mainstream sports timelines.
Once that happens, other pages often echo the same few details: “ex-fiancée,” “proposal day,” “screenshots,” “no comment yet.” Many posts then add opinionated captions or jokes, which can pull attention away from what people can actually verify.
This dynamic also puts intense pressure on private individuals. Even when someone willingly posts their own story, the audience scale can balloon far beyond what they expected, and the commentary can become harsh quickly.
Could This Affect Johnson’s NFL Career?
From a football operations perspective, teams usually separate players’ personal controversies from on-field decisions unless the issue involves criminal conduct, workplace violations, or a league discipline process.
The NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy gives the league broad authority to respond to behavior that damages the league’s integrity or public confidence, but the policy’s most visible enforcement history involves violence, illegal activity, or serious misconduct—not relationship disputes alone.
Based on what has surfaced publicly, this situation currently looks like a reputational controversy rather than a league matter. Still, reputational stories can shape a player’s public image, endorsement prospects, and online scrutiny, especially for younger players building their careers.
Johnson’s on-field role also matters. As a seventh-round pick with modest rookie-year volume (28 catches, 322 yards, five TDs), he sits closer to the roster bubble than established stars in terms of public leverage, even if he has upside.
That said, nothing in the reporting suggests any formal action from the Buccaneers or the NFL at this time.
The Bigger Issue: Public Breakups, Online Proof, and Accountability
Stories like this sit at the intersection of three forces:
People use social platforms as public diaries, and they often use storytelling as a form of processing grief or anger.
Audiences increasingly treat screenshots as “receipts,” even though outsiders rarely have enough information to judge authenticity or context.
Sports celebrity culture magnifies relationship drama because it offers an easy narrative: fame, temptation, betrayal, and consequences.
Those forces can encourage oversimplified conclusions. Some readers may treat the allegation as proven. Others may dismiss it as clout-chasing. Neither reaction reflects careful thinking.
A more grounded approach recognizes two things at once: Thompson-Wainer has the right to speak about her experience, and the public still lacks independent verification.
What to Watch Next
If this story continues to develop, a few updates would change the factual landscape:
A direct statement from Johnson (or representation) that addresses the allegation rather than ignoring it.
A statement from the Buccaneers that confirms awareness, even if the team declines comment on private matters.
Follow-up reporting that verifies timestamps, accounts, or other metadata behind the screenshots—something few outlets can do without cooperation from the people involved.
Until then, the most accurate description stays simple: Thompson-Wainer has made an allegation, it has gone viral, and Johnson has not publicly responded as of February 26, 2026.
FAQ
Who is Tez Johnson?
He plays wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and entered the NFL as a 2025 seventh-round draft pick from Oregon.
What did his ex-fiancée claim?
She alleged that Johnson contacted an ex-girlfriend with sexually explicit messages on the same day he proposed and again later that night, based on screenshots she discussed in a TikTok.
Has Tez Johnson responded?
As of the reporting published on February 26, 2026, outlets covering the story said he had not responded publicly.
When did he propose?
TMZ’s summary of Thompson-Wainer’s account placed the proposal on February 21, 2025, with the public engagement announcement appearing later in early March 2025 in lifestyle coverage.
