HOUSTON (June 1, 2022)– Former Houston Texans and current Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is now facing a 23rd active civil lawsuit against his name for sexual misconduct and sexual assault.
Per the filing, the plaintiff had her first massage sessions with Watson during the summer of 2020 and that his “behavior grew worse” each session. During the third and final massage, the lawsuit states that Watson exposed himself to her, touched the woman between the legs and “repeatedly requested” for the plaintiff to have sex with him.
According to the recent findings, the plaintiff initially wasn’t planning on pressing charges, but changed her mind after watching HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.” On last week’s episode, Ashley Solis and Kyla Hayes, two other women who have accused Watson of inappropriate sexual conduct, criticized the Browns for the handling of the trade prior to the case being finalized.
The Browns sent Houston six draft picks, including three future first-round selections, in exchange for the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback. In return, Cleveland gave Watson a new five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed extension, making him a part of the roster through the 2026 season.
“It’s just like a big ‘Screw you,’” Solis told HBO. “That’s what it feels like. That we don’t care. He can run and throw, and that’s what we care about.”
Two grand juries in Texas declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson, thus making it easier to trade Watson in March. Watson has denied all wrongdoings and told reporters at his introductory press conference he intends to clear his name of all charges.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell revealed at a league meeting earlier this month that thinks the NFL was “nearing the end” of its investigation but couldn’t give a timeline for when a ruling might be made. The league office opened its own private investigation of Watson last season following the first set of lawsuits.
The Browns have not released a statement on Watson as of this time. The prosecuting attorney, Tony Buzbee, said in a statement that “other cases may come against” the quarterback in the coming weeks.
“The Watson defense team has vilified these women and this cause,” Buzbee said in a statement, according to ESPN. “Shame on them! We look forward to trying this case in court.”
Rusty Hardin, Watson’s attorney, released a video statement prior to the interview airing, saying that Watson had consensual sexual relations with three of the complainants.
“Nobody really wanted to deal much with the fact that two different grand juries found there were no criminal events. The grand jury decides probable cause—is there any basis for believing there was a crime committed, whether it’s a felony or a misdemeanor. And both of those grand juries found no probable cause to believe any crime at all was committed.”
The Texans are set to face the Browns for the first time in the post-Watson era at NRG Stadium on Dec. 4. TexansDaily.com will continue to stay up to date with the proceedings and ramifications of the allegations made against Watson.
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Source: Texans Daily