18 massage therapists defend Watson
Embattled Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is facing 21 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct against him, is finding support from more than a dozen physical and massage therapists.
Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, on Wednesday released testimonials from 18 women who said the claims against the NFL star “are wholly inconsistent with their experiences with him and who they believe him to be.” The women said in separate statements that they never experienced anything that’s being claimed in the various lawsuits.
“Collectively, they have worked with Deshaun more than 130 times over the past five years,” Hardin said in a statement. “These statements show the other side to this story that has been so lacking in the flurry of anonymous complaints filed by opposing counsel.”
Each of the statements has names attached, and each woman who released a statement has worked in the industry for varying numbers of years. Hardin said the women made their statements voluntarily.
“I began providing massage therapy to Deshaun in 2018 and have massaged him at least 40 times since then. I worked with him once or twice a week during the season and as needed during the off season. Early on, he said he wanted me to focus on his hamstrings (he had a trainer that worked on his upper body) and just to work the lactic acid out of his legs,” said Jas Brooks, a medical staff member for Team USA track and field team and a licensed massage therapist.
“This included the groin, glutes and feet. He never asked me any questions and hardly ever spoke at all. In all that time, I never had a single uncomfortable or inappropriate experience with Deshaun.”
Kya Hillman, a retired disabled veteran, said she worked on Watson
three times between October and December 2020.
“I worked with Deshaun to give him full body scrubs and body wraps. At no time did he act inappropriate with me. If he did, I would have talked with him and handled it with him,” she said in her statement.
Other women described Watson as professional, respectful and “the sweetest guy.”
Norma Reyna, the former director of Memorial Hermann’s massage school, has worked with NFL and MLB athletes, as well as Brazilian soccer players. She said Watson was “cordial” and “never observed” him acting inappropriately.
It’s the first major backing Watson has received since the first lawsuit was filed. No criminal charges have been filed and the NFL was investigating the claims.
Hardin has maintained his client’s innocence.