Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was sued Monday in Houston for sexual assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The plaintiff, who is identified by the pseudonym Jane Doe, accuses Watson of misconduct in October 2020, when Watson played for the Houston Texans. She allegedly hosted Watson for a dinner date at her apartment. While in the apartment, Watson is accused of disrobing her and penetrating her without consent. Doe says she escaped and used a piece of furniture for self-defense.
Watson was previously accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct during massage therapies. He wasn’t charged with a crime and reached out-of-court settlements in 23 of 24 cases. Tony Buzbee, the attorney who represented the previous plaintiffs, is representing Doe.
In 2022, the NFL’s attempt to punish Watson for the allegations sparked a labor law controversy as its recently installed personal conduct policy faced its first major test. While neutral hearing officer Sue Robinson agreed with the NFL that Watson engaged in “predatory conduct” with massage therapists, she rejected the league’s demand that Watson face a season-long punishment plus an indefinite period thereafter. Such a penalty, Robinson reasoned, was excessive when considering the precedent set by past punishments. Robinson instead suspended Watson for six games, which the NFL appealed.
Before an arbitrator (former New Jersey attorney general Peter Harvey) heard the appeal, the NFLPA and NFL agreed on a punishment that included Watson serving an 11-game suspension and paying a $5 million fine.
The NFL declined to comment on the new lawsuit against Watson, who will answer the complaint and seek its dismissal. Should the NFL find the new allegations warrant a penalty, the league could punish Watson again. The 2022 settlement doesn’t foreclose subsequent punishments related to new allegations.
Watson, for whom the Browns traded three first-round picks before signing him to a five-year, $230 million guaranteed deal, has been a disappointment on the field since joining Cleveland in 2022. The 28-year-old hasn’t been the star he was with the Texans and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last November. In the Browns’ season opening 33-17 loss against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Watson connected on 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown. He also threw two interceptions.
