NFL involved
League investigating Watson allegations.
Three female massage therapists have now filed lawsuits against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, prompting the NFL to open an investigation into the allegations of sexual assault and harassment.
In the latest of what is now a series of cases, a masseuse accuses Watson of forcing her in December to perform oral sex. She described the alleged encounter in the most graphic lawsuit against the football player to date, also detailing threats she said he made to her business.
“Watson made clear, repeatedly, that he was a professional football player, who could help, or hurt, her career,” she said in the suit, which was made available online Thursday morning.
The other two lawsuits similarly involve masseuses and center on alleged, separate events from March
and August 2020, when they said the three-time Pro Bowl selection touched them with his penis.
Watson, who is also in an impasse with the Texans after formally requesting a trade in January, disputed any accusations of disrespect against women on Tuesday night once lawyer Tony Buzbee, a former mayoral candidate, announced that he filed the lawsuit. He has not made any additional statements.
Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, told the Houston Chronicle he would not comment until he is more familiar with the case.
“I’m real comfortable with the kind of person that Deshaun Watson is, and I don’t like to publicly comment until I get all the facts,” Hardin told ESPN after the first two lawsuits were filed. He said that “the allegations are really inconsistent with the kind of person he is.”
While NFL representatives publicly stated that they were aware of the lawsuits, they declined further comment. Buzbee, who represents the women, has been contacted by Lisa Friel, NFL special counsel in charge of investigations, and posted a letter from her on social media.
Under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, players can be punished even if they’re not facing criminal charges. That penalty can range from a fine to a suspension of games.
“I am writing to let you know that the League has opened an investigation into the allegations and to request the cooperation of your clients in our investigation,” Friel wrote. “Such cooperation would begin with engaging in Zoom interviews with myself and another League investigator at which, of course, you would be present. Please let me know at your earliest convenience if your clients are willing to assist us with our investigation of these allegations.”
Buzbee has said there will be additional litigation.
Similarities in claims
All three suits share common themes. Like the others, the third massage therapist said Watson contacted her through a direct message on Instagram. She didn’t know Watson prior to the session, and she had never worked with anyone from the Texans organization, she said.
The masseuse regularly provides massages in various locations and said she and Watson scheduled an appointment at an office building at 10 a.m. on Dec. 28.
Her mother helped her set up and left around the time Watson arrived, she said in the litigation. She gave him privacy to undress, and when she returned, he had only a small towel on his buttocks, she claimed. Because he provided his own towel and the person receiving a massage usually uses a full draping to cover themselves, she already became uncomfortable, she said.
The woman started working on Watson’s lower back, and he began “aggressively dictating” where he wanted her to touch him, according to the lawsuit. He wanted his glutes, inner thighs, inner glutes and hamstrings massaged, she said.
She grew more and more uncomfortable, and she directed Watson to flip on to his back, the therapist said. He coerced her to massage his inner groin, to which she deferred by saying she needed a special tool, she said in the lawsuit. He said he wanted her to use only her hands, she contends.
Watson eventually asked her to massage his abs, and he forcefully told her to move her hand lower, instructing her to slide her hand across his genitals, she said, according to the suit.
She began shaking, and he coerced her to perform oral sex, she said. At that point, she allegedly blacked out from fear.
“Plaintiff wishes she would have been more courageous and would have ended the massage. But she felt helpless in the moment. Plaintiff was under Watson’s control,” the lawsuit reads.
Watson left as if nothing occurred, she said, and she defecated on herself. Her mother picked her up from the office building.
Like the other masseuses, the woman said she suffers from panic attacks, depression, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. She can’t bring up Watson’s name without sobbing and hyperventilating, the lawsuit states.
Future with team?
The accusations could complicate Watson’s attempt to leave the Texans, which is occurring months after Watson in September signed a four-year, $156 million contract with the team.
He reiterated his desire to leave the Texans in a recent conversation with coach David Culley and remains intentional in his desire to never play another down for the AFC South franchise, multiple league sources previously told the Chronicle. The team, however, has remained steadfast in not wanting to trade him.
The team finalized a one-year contract Tuesday with former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who would likely operate as the starting quarterback in Watson’s absence, according to earlier reports.