Deshaun Watson is facing another lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct during a massage session bringing his total cases to 24.
A Houston- area massage therapist alleges an incident of misconduct in 2020, in which the Cleveland Browns quarterback allegedly masturbated and ejaculated on the plaintiff without her permission.
The plaintiff states Watson “offered no apology or explanation for his conduct.”
Shortly after the incident, the plaintiff quit massage therapy altogether.
Tony Buzbee, the attorney for all 24 plaintiffs said:
Today we filed the twenty-fourth case alleging sexual misconduct against Deshaun Watson.
The allegations made in this new case are strikingly similar to those made by many of the other victims.
Lost in the media frenzy surrounding Deshaun Watson is that these are twenty-four strong, courageous women who, despite ridicule, legal shenanigans, and intense media scrutiny, continue to stand firm for what is right.
Setting aside the legal wrangling, the complicity of the NFL, or the failures of the criminal justice system, the resounding story that should be told here is that these women are true heroes.
I will say again, our entire team is incredibly proud to represent these women, and we look forward to the day when we can lay out their cases in detail in front of a jury.
To add insult to injury, Deshaun’s attorney Rusty Hardin, hopped on SportsRadio 610 in Houston on Friday and talked about how “happy endings” during massages aren’t illegal.
He released a statement later that day in an effort to clarify his remarks.
On a Houston radio show interview today, I mentioned that a massage that has a ‘happy ending’ is not illegal, meaning it is not illegal for someone to have consensual sex with a therapist after a massage unless the sex is for pay.
Deshaun did not pay anyone for sex.
I was speaking in a hypothetical situation.
If there is a consensual sexual encounter after a massage, that is not a crime nor the basis for a civil lawsuit.
Buzbee said Hardin “may have single-handedly lost his client’s case because I’m absolutely going to use that comment because I think it speaks volumes to how he, his team, and his client think about the massage industry.”
Despite his laundry list of allegations and civil suits, the Cleveland Browns picked up Deshaun Watson in a trade back in March with a 5-year contract worth a guaranteed $230 million.
Deshaun is currently trending on Twitter as people react to the latest lawsuit.
Read a few tweets below.
Your thoughts?
If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or at https://www.rainn.org.
