Deshaun Watson now facing 19 sexual misconduct lawsuits; Texans QB’s lawyer responds, calls allegations false

A law firm in Texas has submitted 19 separate civil lawsuits that are all alleging sexual misconduct from Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The lawsuits were being submitted by Houston legal professional Tony Buzbee, who has entered them into courtroom on behalf of many women who are all proclaiming that Watson fully commited at the very least just one act of sexual misconduct or assault from them. The fits are all similar in nature: In every circumstance, Watson is accused of performing inappropriately after choosing a feminine to give him a personal therapeutic massage. 

1 of the lawsuits refers to Watson as a “serial predator” and features allegations that he sexually assaulted a therapeutic massage therapist in California. 

Right after Watson was hit with his third lawsuit, which came on March 18, the NFL confirmed to CBSSports.com that the league has opened an investigation from the Texans quarterback to see if he violated the NFL’s personalized carry out plan.

On Watson’s stop, the quarterback had his law firm, Rusty Hardin, respond to the allegations on March 23. In a assertion offered to CBSSports.com, the legal professional wrote that “any allegation that Deshaun forced a girl to dedicate a sexual act is wholly phony.”

Here are the most up-to-date facts on the allegations (Warning, there are some graphic facts): 

Lawsuit just one

The allegations in the very first lawsuit took location on March 30, 2020 at the home of the girl who was employed to give him a therapeutic massage. In this lawsuit, which you can study below, the central allegation is that “Watson assaulted the Plaintiff by touching her with his penis.” According to the lawsuit, Watson allegedly arrived at out to the therapeutic massage therapist on Instagram and asked if she would be prepared to give him a therapeutic massage. Before the two agreed on anything, Watson allegedly asked the girl if the “focus” of the therapeutic massage could be “on his groin space.”

The girl promises that about 25 minutes into the session it became distinct that “Watson needed a therapeutic massage for only just one rationale — sex.” 

Eventually, the girl started crying and ahead of she was ready to get Watson to depart, he allegedly mentioned “I know you have a occupation and track record, and I know you would detest for a person to mess with yours, just like I really don’t want any person messing with mine.” 

The girl took that as a menace that Watson may possibly attempt to destroy her occupation if she mentioned anything. 

Lawsuit two

The second lawsuit entails an incident that allegedly took location on Aug. 28, 2020. Like the very first lawsuit, Watson is accused of reaching out to a therapeutic massage therapist on Instagram. In this lawsuit, Watson is accused of exposing himself and inappropriately touching the girl. In this circumstance, the girl was from Atlanta and Watson allegedly flew her to Houston where by she was intended to give him a therapeutic massage at a area lodge. 

Before the working day of the appointment, Watson allegedly asked the girl if she would be prepared to get the job done on his “glutes” and “groin” space. According to the girl, Watson got wholly nude prior to the therapeutic massage. Right after that occurred, the girl pointed out that he really should be donning at the very least a towel, but Watson allegedly refused to set just one on. Once the girl understood Watson needed much more than a therapeutic massage, she still left the lodge space. 

According to the lawsuit, Watson’s actions is considered as “element of a disturbing sample of preying on vulnerable women.”

Lawsuit three 

The third lawsuit entails a predicament that allegedly took location on Dec. 28, 2020. Once yet again, Watson is accused of location up a therapeutic massage appointment by making use of the messaging purpose on Instagram to get hold of a rather not known therapeutic massage therapist. In this circumstance, the quarterback allegedly established up an appointment that was to he held at a Houston-space place of work creating. 

According to this lawsuit, Watson in fact forced the girl “to conduct oral sex on him.” According to ESPN.com, the girl wrote in the lawsuit that she felt “intimidated and threatened” and that “she was afraid of what a person like Watson could do if she did not submit to his calls for.”

Subsequent lawsuits

Right after the very first three lawsuits came out, Buzbee mentioned there would be much more and he was not exaggerating. The Texas law firm submitted 4 much more lawsuits on March 19. In the fourth lawsuit that was submitted, Watson is accused of sexually assaulting just one girl two times. The very first incident allegedly happened in September 2020 and the second assault allegedly took location in Oct 2020. 

Watson was also hit with seven much more lawsuits on March 22, bringing the full to 14. According to just one of the lawsuits that was submitted Monday and acquired by ESPN, Watson is accused of sexually assaulting a feminine therapeutic massage therapist just weeks back by “touching her with his penis and exposing himself.”

The 13th lawsuit, which was submitted Monday afternoon, alleges Watson harassed and inappropriately touched a experienced esthetician when she was performing a therapeutic massage in April 2020. There were being also two much more lawsuits submitted on March 23, which introduced the full to sixteen. 

The quarterback was then hit with three much more lawsuits on March 29, which implies the full is now at 19. In just one of the three filings from March 29, just one plaintiff mentioned she realized the quarterback through mutual pals, which would make this the very first lawsuit to where by a plaintiff admitted she realized who Watson was ahead of accepting a occupation to give him a therapeutic massage. In a different lawsuit from March 29, Buzbee is now alleging that Watson has been deleting Instagram messages, in accordance to the Houston Chronicle. 

Watson’s reaction

Right after Buzbee publicly introduced that the very first lawsuit would be submitted, Watson promptly issued a assertion on Twitter where by he denied all the allegations from him. 

“As a final result of a social media publish by a publicity-in search of plaintiff’s law firm, I just lately became knowledgeable of a lawsuit that has evidently been submitted from me,” Watson wrote. “I have not nonetheless noticed the complaint, but I know this: I have never addressed any girl with anything other than the utmost regard. The plaintiff’s law firm promises that this is not about funds, but ahead of submitting go well with he made a baseless 6-determine settlement need, which I swiftly turned down. Unlike him, this is not about funds for me — it really is about clearing my name, and I seem forward to executing that.”

Watson released that assertion on March sixteen after the very first lawsuit came out, but hasn’t commented on the predicament considering the fact that then. Watson’s legal professional, Rusty Hardin, adopted up the quarterback’s assertion with a assertion of his possess on March 23 where by he denied all the allegations. 

Watson’s legal professional fires back 

In a prolonged assertion despatched to the media, not only did Hardin claim that the allegations are phony, but he also accused Buzbee of orchestrating “a circus-like ambiance” surrounding the circumstance. 

“Opposing counsel has orchestrated a circus-like ambiance by making use of social media to publicize 14 ‘Jane Doe’ lawsuits throughout the earlier seven times in a fashion calculated to inflame the community and malign Deshaun’s or else sterling track record,” Hardin wrote. 

Watson’s legal professional also pointed out that Buzbee has refused to change more than the names of the plaintiffs. 

“The tactic of refusing our requests to confidentially give the names of the plaintiffs so we can entirely investigate their promises would make
uncovering the real truth extremely challenging,” Hardin mentioned. “Anonymity is typically needed as a shield for victims but opposing counsel has used it as a sword to publicly humiliate Deshaun ahead of the truth‑seeking approach can even start out.”

Hardin also included that be thinks just one of the girl who submitted a lawsuit from Watson as soon as tried using to blackmail the Texans quarterback. 

“I feel that any allegation that Deshaun forced a girl to dedicate a sexual act is wholly phony,” Hardin wrote. “And in the just one circumstance in which we have been ready to determine a plaintiff, we have powerful proof displaying the allegation is phony. In January of this yr, a girl tried to blackmail Deshaun by demanding $30,000 in trade for her “indefinite silence” about what she said was a consensual experience.”

In essence, Hardin made it distinct that Watson is likely to fight each single claim which is been made from him. 

“We are taking the allegations quite severely but we check with only that individuals not rush to judgment, that individuals not be unduly motivated by opposing counsel’s antics, and that they allow fundamental fairness to both equally sides rule the working day,” Hardin wrote. “Thank you for your patience and knowledge.”

Response from the Texans

It would seem the Texans identified out about the very first lawsuit on March sixteen, and after the allegations came out, the workforce swiftly released a assertion.

“We became knowledgeable of a civil lawsuit involving Deshaun Watson through a social media publish [on Tuesday night],” the workforce mentioned. “This is the very first time we listened to of the make a difference, and we hope to find out much more before long. We choose accusations of this nature that require any person in just the Houston Texans corporation severely. We will await further more facts ahead of generating any extra statements on this incident.”

NFL is now investigating 

Buzbee shared a letter on March 18 that came from NFL senior vice president Lisa Friel, who runs the league’s special counsel for investigations. 

“I became knowledgeable of the lawsuits you submitted [March seventeen], as perfectly as the just one you submitted this morning, which have different allegations of misconduct by Houston Texans participant Deshaun Watson,” Friel wrote in a letter that was posted to Instagram by Buzbee (The publish has considering the fact that been deleted). “I am producing to allow you know that the League has opened an investigation into these allegations and to request the cooperation of your customers in our investigation. These types of cooperation would start out with engaging in Zoom interviews with myself and a different League investigator at which, of study course, you would be current. Remember to allow me know at your earliest usefulness if your customers are prepared to support us with our investigation of their allegations.”

The Texans have mentioned that they will be remaining in “close get hold of” with the league more than the study course of the investigation. 

With the league now investigating, you can find a chance that Watson could be hit with a punishment if the NFL finds that you can find any merit to the allegations. With an ongoing NFL investigation, it may possibly also turn into much more challenging for the Texans to trade their star quarterback as other groups may possibly want to see how the investigation plays out ahead of generating a offer for the 25-yr-old. 

Feasible police involvement

Despite the fact that Watson is not at present going through any prison fees, that could alter. Buzbee claimed on March 19 that police in Houston have arrived at out to him to obtain out about any doable crimes that have been fully commited. Even so, Houston police say they are “unaware” of any get hold of among the department and Buzbee. Despite the fact that it really is not distinct if get hold of has been made, Buzbee mentioned he programs to cooperate with authorities and he also mentioned throughout his March 19 push convention that he programs to set a packet together for police that will depth every incident. The law firm also included that submitting a police report will be element of his “following move.”

Even however it does not show up that the police are included nonetheless, Buzbee has mentioned that he would like to see a grand jury convened so that it can seem at the proof and make your mind up no matter if Watson really should be charged.