It was announced in August that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had his suspension by the NFL lengthened from the original six games to 11 games stemming from multiple allegations from two dozen different massage therapists of sexual misconduct; the agreement was reached between the League and the NFLPA that will also include Watson paying a $5 million fine that will be donated to charity.
And having already faced 25 different lawsuits, Watson once again finds himself in more legal trouble. He's had a 26th lawsuit filed against him due to an alleged episode of sexual misconduct during a 2020 massage.
Per ESPN:
In the lawsuit filed Thursday in Harris County (Texas), Watson is accused of soliciting the plaintiff over Instagram with a direct message for a massage at a Houstonian hotel room in Texas in December 2020, while he was a member of the Texans. The lawsuit states that during the session, Watson "continually pressured [the plaintiff] into massaging his private area" before he "removed his towel" and "offered to let her 'get on top.'" According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff "refused to have sex with Watson, however, he was able to pressure her into oral sex" and "Watson paid [the plaintiff] $300 for her services, although her normal charge was $115 for an hour massage."
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff has "suffered from severe depression and anxiety" since the alleged incident.
"My client's experience with Deshaun Watson follows a series of disturbingly similar encounters reported by more than 20 women who have filed suit against the NFL superstar," the woman's lawyer, Anissah Nguyen, told ESPN. "Like so many others, my client spent nearly two years struggling to cope with the shame and trauma from all that he has stolen from her and the daily pain that has become her reality."
So far, there's been no word from the NFL or the Browns as to how this could affect Watson's standing.
