Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson accused of 2020 sexual assault in new lawsuit
By Ben Church and Wayne Sterling, CNN
(CNN) — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been accused of sexual assault and battery which allegedly occurred in 2020, according to a civil lawsuit filed Monday by a woman in Harris County, Texas.
In the lawsuit obtained by CNN, a woman identified as “Jane Doe” claims that Watson sexually assaulted her in her apartment before a dinner date in October 2020.
According to the lawsuit, Watson – who was playing for the Houston Texans at the time – had become angry when he initially couldn’t find the woman’s apartment, yelling at her on the phone.
When inside, as the woman was getting ready in the bathroom, Watson allegedly took off his clothes and demanded a massage to his buttocks while lying on her bed.
According to the filing, the woman, Jane Doe, said she was terrified.
“She was in her small apartment with a much larger man. … Doe thus tried to appease Watson by rubbing his back, rather than his buttocks,” the suit reads.
Watson insisted she massage his buttocks, but she refused, and he became frustrated, according to the suit.
“Jane froze in fear, unsure of how to refuse Watson’s advances without jeopardizing her safety,” the suit alleges.
According to the lawsuit, Watson disrobed the woman and “penetrated her … without consent, implicit or explicit.”
The suit alleges: “Jane Doe felt paralyzed, unsure if she should risk her safety by trying to stop Watson or endure his assault.”
The sexual assault allegedly lasted for “several minutes” before the woman broke free and grabbed a heavy object for protection, the suit adds. The lawsuit claims Watson then “stormed out” of the apartment.
Neither Watson’s legal representatives, the Texans nor the NFL Players Association have responded to CNN’s request for comment.
A Browns spokesperson provided a statement to CNN that said, “We will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL’s guidelines on this matter.”
The NFL declined to comment when contacted by CNN.
Jane Doe is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $1 million, the lawsuit states.
In 2022, the NFL and the NFLPA agreed to suspend Watson for 11 regular season games without pay and fine him $5 million after at least 24 civil lawsuits were filed on behalf of women alleging the quarterback sexually harassed or assaulted them during private massage appointments while he was playing for the Texans.
Watson repeatedly denied wrongdoing in those cases, and 23 of the lawsuits were settled confidentially. Two grand juries declined to charge Watson criminally.
“I’m moving on with my career and my life, and I’m going to continue to stand on my innocence,” Watson said at the time.
“Just because settlements and things like that happen, doesn’t mean that person is guilty for anything,” he said.
In 2022, the Browns traded three first-round picks for Watson and then signed him to a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract, the most guaranteed money in NFL history at the time.
The-CNN-Wire
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