Two years after the Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson settled 23 lawsuits filed by Massage Therapist Another woman, who said he turned a massage visit sexual without her consent, has accused Watson of sexual assault and battery.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in Harris County, Texas, a woman said Watson “aggressively” sexually assaulted her in October 2020, while he played for the Houston Texans. The woman, who is not a massage therapist, said he forced himself inside her after she refused to massage her buttocks.
According to the lawsuit, Watson went to the woman’s apartment for a dinner date and removed her clothes while she was getting ready in another room. He demanded that she massage her buttocks, according to the civil complaint, and when she did not, he placed her on the bed next to him, partially undressed her and “roughly” penetrated her for several minutes, the complaint said. started
The woman’s allegations of forced penetration are among the most serious that have been leveled against Watson.
“This is an extremely serious matter,” said her lawyer, Tony Buzby, who also previously represented 25 other women who brought sexual misconduct claims against Watson. “We intend to pursue this case with the same aggressiveness with which we have pursued others. We want a jury trial.”
Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, did not respond to a request for comment, and a Browns spokesman declined to comment. Watson has previously said he has never assaulted anyone.
Two Texas grand juries declined to indict Watson on criminal charges in March 2022, the same month the Browns traded for Watson and gave him a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract. He still faces two other open civil lawsuits filed in 2021 and 2022.
The woman who filed the latest lawsuit had not previously publicly made any allegations against Watson. Mr. Buzby said he did not know whether she would file a police report.
Watson was A fine of $5 million He was suspended for 11 games in 2022 by the NFL and for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Among the terms of his disciplinary settlement with the NFL was that he would not be subject to any further punishment from the league for any other charges arising from “the same or substantially similar conduct” that occurred before the discipline was imposed. He may be investigated and subject to higher penalties, however, for any prior incident involving the use or threat of physical force or for having been charged with a crime.
An NFL spokesman said the league is “reviewing the complaint.”
Watson started at quarterback for the Browns on Sunday in a 33-17 season-opening loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Post Deshaun Watson is accused of sexual assault appeared first New York Times.