Deshaun Watson facing new sexual assault lawsuit

Mar 25, 2022; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson talks with the media during a press conference at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

A bad start to the season for Deshaun Watson got even worse on Monday as the Cleveland Browns quarterback has once again been sued.

A lawsuit was filed in Houston, Texas, on Monday by a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by Watson while the two were on a date in October 2020. The woman, who used the pseudonym Jane Doe for the lawsuit, is suing Watson for sexual assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the woman claims in the lawsuit that she and Watson had arranged to go on a date on Oct. 10, 2020. She says Watson was initially unable to locate her apartment on the night of the date, which led to Watson calling her and “aggressively yelling and screaming and stating that he could not find her apartment and that he ‘doesn’t have time for this.’”

Watson eventually made it to the woman’s apartment. The woman claims she invited Watson to sit in her living room while she finished getting ready. She said she began trying to have a conversation with Watson but that he was not answering, so she went out into the living room to see why. At that point, the alleged victim claims she found Watson “completely naked on her bed, lying face-down on his stomach.”

The lawsuit states that Watson “aggressively insisted that (the woman) massage him, gesturing to his buttocks.” When the woman asked if Watson meant he wanted a back massage, he allegedly motioned to his buttocks. The woman said she was “terrified” but “tried to appease Watson by rubbing his back, rather than his buttocks.” When the woman continued refusing to massage Watson’s lower body, she says he turned over and revealed an erection.

The accuser says Watson then asked her what she wanted to do instead but grabbed her leg and positioned her so she was laying down before she could answer. Watson is then accused of penetrating the woman without consent, leaving her “paralyzed” with fear. The woman says Watson continued to assault her for several minutes before she “gathered the courage and strength to escape.”

You can read more details here.

The plaintiff is not one of the two dozen women who previously filed sexual assault lawsuits against Watson. She is represented by Tony Buzbee, who is the attorney who represented many other women who sued Watson in 2021.

The newest allegations against Watson appear more serious than the ones contained in previous lawsuits, as the other women did not explicitly accuse Watson of sexual assault.

Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 NFL season over the previous allegations. He signed a fully guaranteed 5-year, $230 million deal with the Browns months before that after the team acquired him in a trade with the Houston Texans.

Watson missed the majority of the 2023 season with an injury. He went 24/45 for 169 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions in Cleveland’s 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The criticism against Watson is already starting to pile up, so the latest lawsuit will only add to the negative attention.