Star NFL quarterback accused of 26th sexual assault
Deshaun Watson, the star quarterback for NFL team the Cleveland Browns, has been served notice of a 26th lawsuit against him, following a string of similar claims against the 27-year-old which resulted in him being suspended by the league for a period of 11 games and hit with a fine of $5 million.
Each of the plaintiffs claim that Watson pressured women into performing sex acts on him, or other forms of inappropriate sexual contact, under the pretense of him receiving a massage – with Watson understood to have financially settled claims with 23 of the women.
The latest such lawsuit, which was filed in Harris County, Texas, states that Watson pressured a masseuse to perform oral sex on him during massage therapy in 2020. Each of the alleged offenses occurred while he was a member of the Houston Texans.
The claim alleges that Watson “continually pressured [the plaintiff] into massaging his private area” before he “removed his towel” and “offered to let her get on top.”
It adds that he compelled the woman into performing oral sex, and that the woman in question has struggled with anxiety and depression in the time that has followed.
“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,” the unnamed woman’s lawyer, 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.”
Watson, meanwhile, has maintained his innocence throughout each of the claims. Investigating authorities opted to not pursue criminal charges against the player.
“I'll continue to stand on my innocence, just because, you know, settlements and things like that happen doesn’t mean that a person is guilty for anything,” he said in August.
“I feel like a person has an opportunity to stand on his innocence and prove that, and we proved that from a legal side, and just going to continue to push forward as an individual and as a person.”
And NFL spokesperson has since confirmed that the latest allegations against Watson will not impact the term of his ongoing suspension. He is expected to return to play in December.
Before his suspension from the NFL was confirmed, Watson moved from the Texans to the Browns in one of the biggest trade deals in NFL history.
He would also sign the biggest individual contract ever seen in the sport – a five-year deal worth $250 million guaranteed.
