The attorney for Deshaun Watson has denied the latest sexual assault allegations against the Cleveland Browns quarterback. The incident reportedly occurred while he was on a date in 2020.
The civil lawsuit against Watson was filed earlier this week in Texas.
"Deshaun strongly denies the allegations in the Jane Doe lawsuit filed Monday," attorney Rusty Hardin, who is representing Watson, wrote Wednesday in a statement. "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."
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Watson will still start in Sunday's road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars but declined comment beyond that.
"We'll let the due process play out and follow the NFL's guidelines," said Stefanski, who added that he was unaware of the allegations against Watson before the lawsuit.
The NFL has indicated it is reviewing the situation.
"The lawsuit alleges that, while applying makeup in her bathroom, the woman then found Watson 'completely naked on her bed, lying face down on his stomach,'" wrote Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "Watson then requested that the woman massage his buttocks and the woman "tried to appease Watson by rubbing his back, rather than his buttocks," according to the lawsuit.
"Watson then turned over and 'continued to demand that Jane Doe massage him, gesturing from his knees to his groin,' according to the lawsuit. The woman told Watson that she was not a masseuse, to which Watson asked her what she wanted to do instead, the suit alleges.
Before the woman could answer, Watson 'partially disrobed Jane Doe and penetrated her vagina without consent, implicit or explicit,' according to the lawsuit, which also alleges that Watson sexually assaulted the woman for several minutes before she escaped and grabbed a heavy piece of decor for self-defense. Watson then 'stormed out of Jane Doe's apartment,' according to the lawsuit."
The woman who filed the suit indicated she remained silent on the matter out of embarrassment and fear of possible retribution.
"Watson settled 23 of the 24 civil lawsuits filed against him in the summer of 2022," Oyefusi wrote. "The lawsuit filed Monday is unrelated to the lone suit remaining from the women who accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. However, the same attorney, Tony Buzbee, is representing the latest woman to sue Watson."
The Browns are 0-1 after losing to the Dallas Cowboys, a game in which Watson gave perhaps his worst performance as a pro.
