The investigator becomes the investigated.
The home of an Emmy-winning Detroit television reporter who co-hosts a podcast with a Los Angeles Ram player’s wife was raided by authorities investigating allegations he made unwanted sexual advances toward a man during a massage.
Television reporter Hank Winchester’s home was searched by authorities following reports of alleged unwanted sexual advances with a man during a massage. hankwinchester/InstagramHank Winchester, an investigative reporter at the NBC-affiliated WDIV Local 4 station and host of HelpMeHank, is married to Oakland County Circuit Judge Jacob Cunningham, according to Winchester’s Instagram. The two also share a young daughter.
Beverly Hills Police searched his home alongside the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office while executing a search warrant related to alleged unwanted sexual advances Winchester made toward a man during a massage, as reported by Fox 2.
Winchester recently studied massage therapy, sources told Fox 2. It’s unclear if he was the one being massaged or serving as the masseuse.
Winchester also co-hosts “The Morning After” podcast with Kelly Stafford, who is married to LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. The show occasionally features high-profile guests employed by media powerhouses like Access Hollywood and ESPN.
Winchester hosts HelpMeHank at WDIV Local 4. hankwinchester/InstagramBefore joining the Rams, Matthew Stafford played for the Detroit Lions from 2009 to 2020. Winchester has been close with the entire family for years, he wrote in a farewell to the Staffords when they moved to LA in 2021.
Winchester was also placed on administrative leave as a result of the “external investigation,” WDIV Vice President Bob Ellis wrote in a statement.
Todd Flood, Winchester’s attorney, is confident the probe will flop.
“Hank has spent decades bringing truth to our community and fighting for our citizens. Because he holds a high-profile position in our community, that can at times generate false accusations. This investigation will end where it began – nowhere,” he wrote.
Winchester co-hosts “The Morning After” podcast Kelly Stafford. hankwinchester/InstagramNo charges have been filed. The investigation is still ongoing.
Winchester isn’t the only media figure to find himself facing similar allegations in recent months.
In April, a disgraced weatherman in Virginia was arrested after allegedly making a sex tape and using it to extort his victims.
Last year, a Louisiana television anchor resigned after he was caught sexting who he thought was a 15-year-old girl but was in reality a vigilante trio dubbed the “predator hunters.”
