A 25th woman has stepped forward to file a lawsuit for sexual assault against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
In the latest lawsuit filed in Harris County, Texas, a massage therapist claims that Watson pressured her into performing oral sex on him in 2020 when he was still a member of the Houston Texans, ESPN reports.
The woman alleges that Watson found her via Instagram and hired her to give him a massage in a Houstonian hotel room in Texas in December 2020. Once at the hotel, the woman alleges that Watson “continually pressured [the plaintiff] into massaging his private area” then “removed his towel” and “offered to let her ‘get on top.'” The plaintiff says she “refused to have sex with Watson. However, he was able to pressure her into oral sex.” The suit further states, “Watson paid [the plaintiff] $300 for her services, although her normal charge was $115 for an hour massage.”
Deshaun Watson, #4 of the Cleveland Browns, runs off the field at halftime of a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 27, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
The woman claims to have “suffered from severe depression and anxiety” from the incident.
Unlike many of the other alleged victims, this woman secured her own attorney instead of joining the other more than 20 women who hired attorney Tony Buzbee.
“My client’s experience with Deshaun Watson follows a series of disturbingly similar encounters reported by more than 20 women who have filed suit against the NFL superstar,” attorney Anissah Nguyen told ESPN. “Like so many others, my client spent nearly two years struggling to cope with the shame and trauma from all that he has stolen from her and the daily pain that has become her reality.”
“Knowing her story will bring on the hard conversations, criticism, and even victim-blaming; the strength and bravery of these other women gave my client the courage to stand up and speak out. She seeks justice not only for herself and her own healing, but for the more than 20 women who refused to be shamed into silence, and the victims who have yet to come forward,” Nguyen added.
Watson settled most of the lawsuits out of court in June, and 20 of the then 25 cases were closed. The terms and amounts of the settlements were left confidential.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns talks with teammates during the third quarter of a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 21, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Eagles defeated the Browns 21-20. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
In July, the Houston Texans also reached separate settlements with 30 women who threatened to sue the team over encounters with Watson. No details about those settlements were made public, either.
The NFL suspended Watson for 11 games this season and fined him $5 million for violating the league’s code of personal conduct. But the relatively light punishment caused much condemnation to be hurled at the NFL.
Throughout this saga, though, Watson has continued to deny the allegations of sexual misconduct.
“I never assaulted anyone,” Watson said in June. “I never harassed anyone, or I never disrespected anyone. I never forced anyone to do anything.”
He still insists that he will clear his name when all is said and done.
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