Deshaun Watson has now been formally accused of sexual assault by 16 different women, and the lawyer representing the alleged victims continues to rip the star quarterback publicly.
On Tuesday, Watson’s attorney Rusty Hardin said any claim that his client forced a woman to commit a sexual act on him is “completely false.” In one of the cases, Hardin says a woman tried to blackmail Watson after Watson and the woman had a sexual encounter that was consensual. Tony Buzbee, who is representing the alleged victims, wasted no time shooting that down.
Hardin provided a written declaration from Bryan Burney, who says he has been Watson’s marketing manager for three years. Burney claims he was contacted by a woman several months ago who was seeking $30,000 in exchange for her silence about a consensual encounter she had with Watson. In a Facebook statement Tuesday night, Buzbee questioned why Watson’s marketing agent would admit Watson had sex with a massage therapist whom he was paying. Buzbee also claimed his legal team will be producing evidence that shows Watson had that victim and other women sign non-disclosure agreements.
“My first reaction is that there have been so many massage sessions from Instagram that Mr. Watson can’t keep track of them — recall he, on Twitter, initially criticized me and denied everything,” Buzbee wrote. “I can’t tell you how many people have stepped forward to report similar conduct or provide information. That info will be released, again in public filings — not in the media. My second reaction is a question: why would his marketing agent admit Watson had sex for pay with a massage therapist, consensual or otherwise? We will also provide a copy of the non-disclosure agreement that Deshaun Watson and his marketing manager repeatedly insisted that Jane Doe (and others) sign after (and sometimes before) the ‘massage session,’ which she refused to sign.”
If Watson did ask massage therapists to sign non-disclosure agreements, there would certainly be questions about why he felt the need to do that. Athletes and celebrities often go to great lengths to protect their privacy, but it’s unclear what Watson would be concerned about with a professional massage.
Watson’s agent sent a tweet last week accusing the alleged victims of lying for financial gain. One woman who claims to have given Watson several massages defended the Pro Bowler on social media.
Buzbee says there are a total of 24 women who had similar experiences with Watson, with 16 having filed lawsuits. One of the latest, which was filed on Monday night, included more troubling allegations against the quarterback.
