Deshaun Watson is now facing additional lawsuits. According to ESPN, four more lawsuits have been filed against the Houston Texans quarterback, alleging sexual assault and similar inappropriate conduct to the previous three that have been filed earlier this week. This means Watson has been hit with seven lawsuits, all of them filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who said on social media there are nine total cases against Watson.
On Thursday, NFL announced it will investigate the situation. “The NFL informed us today that they will conduct an investigation into the allegations made in the civil lawsuits filed against Deshaun Watson,” the Texans stated. “We will stay in close contact with the league as they do. We continue to take this and all matters involving anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously. We do not anticipate making any additional statements until the NFL’s investigation concludes.”
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Watson first heard about the lawsuit on Tuesday night and went to social media in an attempt to clear his name. “I have not yet seen the complaint, but I know this: I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect,” he wrote. “The plaintiff’s lawyer claims that this isn’t about money, but before filing the suit, he made a baseless six-figure settlement demand, which I quickly rejected. Unlike him, this isn’t about money for me – it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that.”
The seven lawsuits that have been filed depict a pattern of sexual assault against massage therapists in the Houston area. One woman alleges she was forced to perform oral sex during the massage. Of the seven lawsuits, only one claims Watson sexually assaulted a woman multiple times.
Watson’s agent, David Mulugheta, went to Twitter to defend Watson. “Sexual assault is real. Victims should be heard, offenders prosecuted,” Mulugheta posted Friday. “Individuals fabricate stories in pursuit of financial gain often. Their victims should be heard, and those offenders also prosecuted. I simply hope we keep this same energy with the truth.”
For Watson, this comes at an interesting time. The 25-year-old quarterback recently requested a trade from the Texans after showing frustration with the team. Watson was drafted by the Texans in the first round in 2017 and has emerged as one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL, leading the Texans to the playoffs twice in the last two seasons and being named to the Pro Bowl three times.
