Tiki Barber Slept in Student's Dorm Room, Sources Say

Traci Johnson

Naturally, there are more sordid rumors swirling about ex-Giants star Tiki Barber's affair with a 23-year-old former NBC intern—for whom he just dumped his 8-months-pregnant wife. The Post is valiantly leading the charge, with all sorts of anonymous sources alleging and denying all sorts of sleazy things. One source who knew his young mistress, Traci Johnson, when she attended Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, provided this prurient little nugget to the tabloid of record:

One night, he sneaked into her dorm and stayed over the night. The next day, Traci didn't want to let him out of her room to use the bathroom because she was worried someone would see him and catch them. Traci said that she didn't expect him to leave his wife, and that [Ginny] was so pretty.

This is the kind of story that makes you glad to be a nobody. A neighbor of the Johnson family in upstate Pine Bush says, "I heard from [Traci's father] Ernie that Traci baby-sat for Tiki, and he put in a word for her at the 'Today' show. I said, 'Wow!' " But a source "close to Barber" denies that Barber was romantically involved with Johnson while she was in college, insists that Barber did not got her the internship, and claims Johnson never babysat for Barber's kids. "They're just nauseating lies," says one of Barber's business partner.

And yet another anonymous rumor-mongering source tells the Post that "while she was interning at the 'Today' show, Traci's direct boss, a producer, noticed that she was going out for lunch with Tiki. Traci's boss told her, 'What do you think you're doing? You're just an intern. I don't want you going out to lunch with him in public.'" But perhaps the most plausible rumor of all is that Johnson is "a wild party girl, and is often out all night with all her girlfriends. When they go out for dinners he takes care of it. And she tells everyone he pays her rent. He seems pretty hooked by Traci. She knows it, and is making the most of it."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on April 8, 2010 12:35 PM

Comments [rss]

trail

Gothamist,

the descriptions peppering this account of the NY gossip rags' account of this affair confuse me: at once it seems as though 'you' (i.e. the blog as a whole) are condemning the Post for their 'predictable' tenacity to get the dirt of the story ("Naturally there are more sordid rumors ...") as well as reporting as thouroughly as possible on the content of this 'natural' bad habit of seeking out all and every of the most juicy details of this affair. Why, then, the commentary? - are you synthesizing other news stories, reporting or editorializing? If it's something in the middle - in which you present a 'middle ground,' moralizing of the news as you relay it to a faithful readership perceived capable of discerning the modesty of this commentary - why not stay this outright? Does this website - one of which I would indeed, perhaps somewhat foggily-headed, count myself a regular reader - have a clearly-stated purpose in the end? - to say it simply reports on the local - on the -ist - is not enough, wouldn't you say? Why do reports of reports with tame moralizations exist? Is this what this is or would you disagree?

I await to hear, respecting much of what I garner from this site.

S.K.

Its funny how NBC's internship program hired an upstate floozy who slept with Tiki, while honest hardworking students wasted their time applying online in vain.

Who do I have to sleep with to get a job at NBC?

NannyState

Apparently, their audience.

esmerelda fitzmonster

Tiger, Jesse, John Edwards, Springsteen and now Tiki? Is there a rash of cheating going on lately or is the entertainment media just bored?

Darrell

Nope, considering that over 50% of marriages end in divorce, this sort of thing is actually really common, but the purists like to believe otherwise, and unfortunately they're the same people who run the censors and pick what gets on the news.

At the same time, John Q. Average gets the opportunity to feel like he's above these celebrities who are otherwise his superior because at least he isn't currently cheating on his girlfriend/wife. Bonus points if its an exotic affair like if one of them turns to a gay interracial affair or they sleep with a tranny.

ANGRYGOD11

No, they are just lazy. It's easier and cheaper to report on this drivel than send reporters to Afghanistan.

synik

Just remember Tiki has fumblitis.

kazubes

Seems like a dumb career move but whatever floats his boat

schadenfreudian mensch

Supposedly he's crawling back to Fox since NBC don't find that he's adding anything.

horseplay

That chick looks hot! Good move tiki. But im sure his wife told not to come 'RUNNING BACK' to her

rschnabel

You can't turn a whore into a housewife. Not sure which one is the whore though...

Splicer

Normally I don't care about extramarital affairs because they are as common as water (no matter what people think about their spouse). In this case, I'll just say that in my opinion, Tiki Barber is a moron. You want to have an affair and have sex with someone who is as hot as this girl then go right ahead. But for the love of dog, don't fall in love with her. It's like falling in love with a confection. I may love red velvet cake but I know there's a difference between having a slice every so often and deciding to dedicate my life to cake. I don't know what kind of man Tiki is but he better get some serious therapy if he falls in love with every attractive piece of chicken that comes along.

theevilone

Foolish, foolish man.

sluggo

Who gives a rats ass about this guy or anyone else's extramarital affairs?? This is not news, it's his personal life! It's his wife's concern, not anyone elses.