Two more civil lawsuits accusing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct were filed on Tuesday evening in a Texas court, bringing the overall total to 21.
The lawsuits appeared on the website of the Harris County District Clerk on Wednesday morning.
The two most recent lawsuits come from a massage professional in Arizona and from a Houston woman working to get her massage license.
The Houston woman said she provided massage services on four occasions to Watson in mid-2020. And while the first three appointments left her upset and shaken, she continued to work with Watson because she feared he could ruin her reputation as she tried to get her business started. The fourth appointment, she said, culminated in forced oral sex, and she refused to work with him after that.
Also, one of the new lawsuits states Watson has ‘unsent’ messages on Instagram and has contacted the women who previously massaged him ‘through intermediaries.’ That statement clarifies the contents of a lawsuit filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee on Sunday that said Watson was deleting Instagram messages and contacting the women ‘who formally provided him massages, in an attempt to settle.’
In response, Watson’s attorney Rusty Hardin released statements from 18 different female massage therapists on Wednesday who say the former Clemson star did not act inappropriately with them.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson’s mounting legal problems grew worse this week as three more female massage therapists sued him for civil assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, bringing the total number of lawsuits against him to 19
In a statement on Monday, Hardin responded to the suggestion that his client deliberately deleted Instagram messages, saying that Watson has not done so since the first lawsuit was filed on March 15. Hardin also denied the claim that Watson had reached out to any accuser to persuade them to settle these cases.
Like the previous 16, the latest three lawsuits were all filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee on behalf of Jane Does, who say Watson exposed himself during massages, requested sexual favors, and even forcibly touched them with his penis as they worked. Most, but not all, of the 19 total plaintiffs are licensed massage therapists or work in a similar field, according to Buzbee.
Watson is not being accused of sexual assault by any of the three women who filed Monday, although two other plaintiffs who filed earlier this month did allege sexual assault, saying he forced them to perform oral sex on him.
The 25-year-old Watson has denied any wrongdoing and Hardin previously said ‘any allegation that Deshaun forced a woman to commit a sexual act is completely false.’
Rusty Hardin (left), Watson’s attorney, alleged in a statement that his legal team has ‘strong evidence’ an accusation made by a woman they believe filed one of the lawsuits is false. Tony Buzbee (right), who represents the 19 women, said in a statement: ‘Alleged sexual misconduct is serious. Attempting to criminalize or minimize those that speak out or step forward is wrong’
The NFL is investigating the allegations against Watson, but a league spokesman has declined to speak further on the matter. Houston police and the local district attorney’s office have declined to comment on the lawsuits.
‘It would be inappropriate for the District Attorney’s Office to comment on a civil lawsuit, and we refrain from publicly discussing allegations in any matter until and if a criminal charge is filed; we do this out of fairness to all,’ Dane Schiller, a spokesperson for the Harris County district attorney, said in a statement.
At a news conference earlier this month, Buzbee said the lawsuits aren’t about money, saying that the women are suing for $500 in damages, which is the lowest amount that can be sought in civil court in Texas.
Instead, Buzbee said, the lawsuits are about fixing Watson’s pattern of behavior and the culture of the NFL.
‘Plaintiffs have not brought these cases for money or attention; instead Plaintiffs seek a change in behavior with regard to Watson, and a change of culture in the NFL,’ read one of Buzbee’s filings against the defendant.
Hardin, on Monday, insisted that the lawsuits really are about money.
‘Opposing counsel’s continued statements that these cases aren’t about money do not square with the facts in at least two of these cases,’ Hardin said in his statement. ‘It is incredibly irresponsible to continue to make these types of false allegations in this avalanche of anonymous lawsuits, particularly while we are still trying to find out who the accusers are.
‘We will address these issues, and others raised in these cases, in our formal response to the court in the coming weeks.’
Last week, Hardin alleged in a statement that he had ‘strong evidence’ one accuser is lying, saying that she tried and failed to blackmail his client for $30,000.
In her lawsuit, the woman alleged Watson forced her to perform oral sex during a massage in December and that she ‘blacked out for a few minutes from the fear’ of her encounter with Watson, which left her ‘terrified.’ She also claims she defecated after the incident because she was so shaken.
Hardin claims that in January, she demanded $30,000 in exchange for her ‘indefinite silence’ on the matter.
Buzbee, meanwhile, has claimed that he has copies of non-disclosure agreements that Watson has asked his massage therapists to sign.
‘We will also provide a copy of the non-disclosure agreement that Deshaun Watson and his marketing manager repeatedly insisted that Jane Doe (and others) sign after (and sometimes before) the ”massage session,” which she refused to sign,’ Buzbee wrote in a statement.
Buzbee previously claimed to have incriminating text messages from Watson to his accusers.
‘Sorry about you feeling uncomfortable,’ read one of Watson’s purported text messages, which Buzbee posted on Instagram. ‘Never were the intensions. Lmk if you want to work in the future. My apologies.’
In another text, purportedly sent by Watson ahead of an appointment, he asked the masseuse if she was ‘comfortable with the glute area.’
Hardin accused Buzbee of creating a ‘circus-like atmosphere by using social media’ to publicize the lawsuits. He said that Watson recognizes that ‘sexual assault and harassment are not only unlawful, but morally wrong.’
Hardin said that many massage therapists who have previously worked with Watson describe him as a ‘gentleman and a model client who never engaged in inappropriate conduct.’
The allegations come at a precarious time for the Texans and Watson, who has reportedly demanded a trade from Houston amid the club’s roster overhaul.
The team has responded by steadfastly refusing to deal the three-time Pro Bowl selection, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
Houston recently released defensive end JJ Watt, a franchise cornerstone and local hero who has since signed with the Arizona Cardinals.
Prior to the 2020 season, Watson signed a massive four-year, $156 million contact that included $110 million guaranteed.
Several of the alleged incidents are said to have occurred at a hotel where Watson was staying. Two of the lawsuits specifically identified that hotel as The Houstonian (pictured)
