3 women sue QB for alleged sex assault
DALLAS — Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is being sued by three masseuses who accuse the star player of sexual assault in a “disturbing pattern” of behavior toward women.
In lawsuits filed this week, two of the woman claim that Watson touched them with his penis during massages last year, and the third alleges he forced her to perform oral sex.
Watson, 25, has broadly denied that he acted inappropriately and said he looks forward to clearing his name.
“I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect,” the quarterback said in a statement posted to Twitter Tuesday.
Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva declined to comment on whether any of the alleged sexual assaults were reported to police, saying the department does not identify people who have not been charged with a crime.
The women, who are not named in the lawsuits, are represented by Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday, but wrote in one of the lawsuits that “Watson’s behavior is part of a disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable woman.”
According to the suits, the women live in Texas, Oregon and Georgia and work giving massages. Two claimed that during massages in March and August of last year Watson was sexually suggestive, exposed his genitals and moved toward them in ways that caused his penis to touch their hands. The lawsuit from the third woman describes similar behavior and alleges that during a massage in December, Watson ”coerced” her into giving him oral sex.