NFL star Deshaun Watson is being sued for more than $1 million after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Texas four years ago.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback, who in 2022 reached confidential settlements with 20 women over sexual misconduct lawsuits, allegedly assaulted the woman in his apartment.
According TMZShe claims Watson stripped naked and “demanded” the woman “massage his butt” before grabbing her and committing sexual assault. Watson has not publicly addressed the allegations.
In 2021, the then-Houston Texans star was hit with 26 sexual assault lawsuits and has since settled 23 of them; the remaining cases are expected to go to civil trial.
Although he has not yet been criminally charged, the NFL suspended him for 11 games during the 2022 season and also fined him $5 million.
Deshaun Watson is being sued for over $1 million after being accused of sexual assault
Watson signed the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history when he inked a $230 million deal with the Browns, who traded six draft picks, including three first-rounders, to the Texans in return for the 2022 draft pick.
After spending most of his time in Cleveland on the sidelines due to an injury and his NFL suspension, he threw two interceptions and took six sacks in a 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The woman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, who also represented the more than 20 other women who made sexual assault allegations against Watson, told TMZ: “This is an extremely serious matter.”
“We intend to pursue this case as aggressively as we have pursued our other cases. We want a jury trial.”
During the alleged altercation with Watson, the woman managed to escape and grabbed “a heavy piece of decoration to defend herself” and demanded that the then-Texans quarterback leave her apartment.
The woman said she was afraid to report her interaction with Watson because she “would be subject to humiliation and personal attacks” due to her celebrity status.
After the more than 20 women came forward, she was allegedly told to remain silent because of the matter in which the other accusers were “treated by Watson’s defense team and the public.”
After recently trying to resolve the matter with Watson privately and failing to reach an agreement, the woman has gone public.