Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is reportedly facing a new sexual assault lawsuit amid his struggles with the team.
Watson has been accused of sexual assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress in a new civil lawsuit that was filed in Houston this week.
Much like the over 20+ previous lawsuits he dealt with, the newest one is similar in regards that it involves a massage.
Rusty Hardin, the Houston-based attorney who has represented Watson in all of his previous allegations of sexual misconduct and in two criminal investigations, said that the Cleveland Browns veteran starter denies the allegations.
“Deshaun strongly denies the allegations in the Jane Doe lawsuit filed Monday,” Hardin said in a statement released to KPRC 2 and other media outlets. “We have asked him not to comment further while this matter works its way through the courts, but are comfortable he will ultimately be vindicated.
#Browns Deshaun Watson says “the statement is exactly how I’m feeling.” It’s a strong denial of the allegations: pic.twitter.com/e4yF3qSTmz
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 11, 2024
Watson was suspended for 11 games in 2022 after he faced more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct, largely involving massage therapists, when he played for the Houston Texans.
It should be noted that this case is not the same as the previous lawsuits in 2021 against Watson.
What Is Deshaun Watson Being Accused of?
Watson’s accuser filed her lawsuit anonymously on Monday and said the incident took place when the two were supposed to go on a date in October 2020.
The lawsuit states that Watson became enraged as he struggled to find the woman’s apartment. He called her and started “aggressively yelling and screaming and stating that he could not find her apartment and that he ‘doesn’t have time for this.’”
When Watson finally arrived, the woman invited him in since she wasn’t finished with her makeup.
However, at some point, Deshaun Watson stopped responding to her.
“Jane Doe came out of her bathroom to investigate Watson’s silence and shockingly found him completely naked on her bed, lying face-down on his stomach.”
While standing there in shock, Watson turned his head and aggressively insisted that she massage him, gesturing to his buttocks,” the lawsuit says.
Jane Doe asked if the then-Texans quarterback wanted his back massaged, and he made it clear he wanted his butt massaged.
“Jane Doe was at this point in the encounter terrified. She was in her small apartment with a much larger man, and she was still reeling from Watson’s outburst and aggression on the phone. Doe thus tried to appease Watson by rubbing his back, rather than his buttocks. Watson began insisting, again, that she focus on his glutes. Seemingly frustrated that Doe would only rub his back, Watson then turned over, revealing an erection. Watson continued to demand that Jane Doe massage him, gesturing from his knees to his groin. Jane Doe froze in fear, unsure of how to refuse Watson’s advances without jeopardizing her safety. Confused and scared, she reiterated to Watson that she wasn’t a masseuse.”
Things got violent when Deshaun Watson suddenly grabbed her leg, partially disrobed her, and penetrated her vagina without any consent.
He allegedly sexually assaulted the woman for several minutes before she eventually escaped from underneath him and yelled at him to get out. He did.
