Three more cases were filed against Deshaun Watson on Sunday, bringing the total number of lawsuits accusing the Houston Texans quarterback of sexual misconduct to 19.
In the latest lawsuit, Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee accused Watson of deleting Instagram messages and contacting some of the women in an attempt to settle. According to ESPN, all three cases accuse Watson of sexually assaulting the women during a massage.
Watson denied any wrongdoing earlier this month when he posted on social media that he had never treated “any woman with anything other than the utmost respect.”
Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said last week any allegation against the quarterback is “completely false,” and said he had “strong evidence” to disapprove one of the claims. He said the evidence — which alleges a woman wanted $30,000 for her “indefinite silence” over a consensual encounter with Watson — “calls into question the legitimacy of the other cases as well. “
Watson is accused of sexually assaulting massage therapists with the alleged incidents spanning from March 2020 to March of this year. Multiple women accuse Watson of forcing them to perform oral sex, while others allege the quarterback touched them with his penis during the massage.
One of the lawsuits claims “Watson’s behavior is part of a disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable women.”
The NFL has opened an investigation into the matter. So far, the Houston Police Department said they have not been contacted about the allegations, though Buzbee has said he plans to be in touch.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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