A lawsuit filed in a Texas district courtroom Thursday afternoon says Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson “attempted to solicit sexually related acts” from a therapeutic massage therapist he booked in December 2020, when Watson performed for the Houston Texans. The plaintiff, a certified therapeutic massage therapist who filed anonymously as Jane Doe, says she has sought counseling for melancholy and anxiousness for the reason that incident and is bringing the case “to raise awareness, and to prevent Deshaun Watson and those like him from engaging in further conduct with other future victims.”
This is the twenty sixth civil lawsuit filed in opposition to Watson through therapeutic massage therapists who say Watson sexually pressured or assaulted them all through appointments. It turns into one in all two lively complaints in opposition to the quarterback, who settled 20 of the fits in June and 3 extra in August, concerned about confidential quantities. One go well with was once dropped in August 2021. (This summer season, the Texans additionally reached settlements with 30 ladies who made or have been ready to make claims in opposition to the group.) Lauren Baxley, the plaintiff within the different lively lawsuit, wrote in an essay for The Daily Beast that she had rejected agreement provides, “in part because they have not included any sincere acknowledgment of remorse and wrongdoings, nor have they included any promises of rehabilitative treatment.” The different plaintiffs who sued Watson have all been represented through Houston legal professional Tony Buzbee. This Jane Doe is the primary plaintiff represented through a special legal professional, Anissah Nguyen.
The lawsuit filed Thursday says Doe gained an instantaneous message from Watson on Instagram, the place she advertised her therapeutic massage remedy industry and located purchasers whilst looking forward to spas to re-open all through the pandemic. She questioned why an NFL participant with get admission to to a complete coaching group of workers would request a therapeutic massage from a moderately low-profile therapeutic massage therapist, however the plaintiff says she was once desperate to develop her industry, and agreed to agenda an appointment for Watson.
According to the lawsuit, Watson and Doe met for the therapeutic massage at a Houston lodge on Dec. 18. Doe says that Watson got rid of his garments in the toilet and emerged dressed in just a towel whilst she arrange her desk. During the therapeutic massage, the lawsuit says, Watson took the towel off and “presented to let [Doe] ‘get on top.’” When she refused, he pressured her into having oral sex. Doe says Watson continued to text her and request massages from her after the incident.
Nguyen told Cleveland.com in an email that she hopes to depose Watson by the end of the year. Watson has served five games of an 11-game suspension levied by the NFL in August for violating the league’s non-public behavior coverage. An NFL spokesperson mentioned in a commentary nowadays that the league would observe any new traits and deal with “any conduct that warrants further investigation or possible additional sanctions,” however that Watson’s standing stays “unchanged” for now. The lawsuit will also be learn in complete under: