Deshaun Watson lawyer fires back at sexual assault allegations in new lawsuit
The lawyer of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson released a statement Wednesday saying Watson “strongly denies” the sexual assault allegations in the lawsuit filed against him Friday in Houston.
Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said that Watson will not comment publicly “while this matter works its way through the courts.”
“Deshaun strongly denies the allegations in the Jane Doe lawsuit filed Friday,” Hardin said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “We have asked him not to comment further while this matter works its way through the courts. But are comfortable he will ultimately be vindicated. We will be ready to defend this case in court at the appropriate time. But don’t intend to conduct our defense in the media.
“We would ask that people be patient while the legal process runs its course. In the meantime, Deshaun is going to focus his energy and concentration on football.”
Deshaun Watson facing new lawsuit for sexual assault and battery
The latest allegations against Watson came to light Monday via a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The alleged incident took place on Oct. 10, 2020. The complainant, who filed the lawsuit under the Jane Doe pseudonym, alleges that Watson “roughly sexually assaulted” in her apartment “for several minutes in a ‘missionary position’ before grabbing her and flipping her over” before the two were scheduled to go on a date.
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NFL shares update on Deshaun Watson’s status, issues statement
The NFL is not currently planning to place Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list “since there have been no criminal charges and the league’s review has just begun,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Tuesday.
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“We are reviewing the complaint and we will look into the matter under the Personal Conduct Policy,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement.
In 2021 and ’22, 26 lawsuits were filed accusing Watson of sexual misconduct and harassment. Hardin represented Watson during those lawsuits. The difference in this particular case is that Watson is specifically accused of sexual assault. Watson, who sat out the entirety of the 2021 season after the allegations arose, was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 campaign and fined $5 million for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.
A potential suspension “could give the Browns a path toward voiding his remaining salary guarantees and ending the relationship,” Florio wrote in his report. The Browns signed Watson to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal in March 2022. That July, he settled 20 of the sexual misconduct cases against him. As of August 2023, 23 of the 26 civil lawsuits have been settled.
The woman using the Jane Doe pseudonym is represented by Tony Buzbee. Buzbee represented several women apart of the string of sexual harassment allegations against Watson. Per Florio, a five-year statute of limitations applies in Texas because the case expressly alleges sexual assault.