DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Deshaun Watson

What happens to Texas' cap and QB situation if this is real? There are now 2 allegations and up to 6 total.

Do you think this will keep him in TX?


https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/3108...ations-baseless

Massage therapists sue Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson; he calls allegations 'baseless'
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12:43 PM ET
Sarah Barshop
ESPN Staff Writer
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HOUSTON -- Two civil lawsuits have been filed against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson alleging inappropriate conduct during massages, on two separate occasions by two separate plaintiffs.

The first lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday night and appeared on the Harris County district clerk's website on Wednesday morning, alleges inappropriate conduct in a massage therapist's home in Houston in March 2020.

The incident the second lawsuit is based on, filed on Wednesday, occurred Aug. 28, 2020.

The lawsuits, which were filed by Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee, both allege that Watson "committed civil assault" when touching a massage therapist with his penis and that he "intentionally or knowingly caused physical contact with Plaintiff when Watson knew, or should have reasonably known, that Plaintiff would regard such contact as offensive."

The second lawsuit says, "Watson's behavior is part of a disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable women."

Buzbee said on Instagram there are six total cases against Watson, although only two lawsuits have been filed so far.

Watson responded on Twitter after Buzbee announced the filing of the first lawsuit on Tuesday night, saying he rejected "a baseless six-figure settlement demand" and that this is "about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that." At the time of his statement, Watson said he had not seen the first lawsuit.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Lawyer says suit filed vs. Watson; QB responds
"I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect," Watson said in his statement.

The first lawsuit alleges Watson booked a massage on March 30, 2020, with a therapist who regularly works in her home. After leaving the room, the massage therapist alleges, she returned to find Watson lying on the massage table with just a small towel covering his groin area.

The lawsuit says the plaintiff "began to feel extremely uncomfortable" and "it became apparent that Watson wanted a massage for only one reason -- sex." It accuses Watson of exposing himself and subsequently touching the woman.

In that lawsuit, the massage therapist alleges that after she asked Watson to leave, the quarterback made a statement that she considered to be a threat. The lawsuit also says Watson later texted her to apologize.

The second lawsuit alleges Watson booked a massage with a masseuse over Instagram and flew her to Houston from Atlanta. When she arrived at the hotel where the massage was scheduled to take place, the suit said Watson was nude on a massage table and refused to cover himself with a towel despite several requests. It also said he inappropriately touched the woman.

Watson's Houston-based attorney, Rusty Hardin, told ESPN he first learned of the lawsuits involving the quarterback on Tuesday evening. Hardin said he spoke with Watson on Wednesday and agreed to represent him.

"I'm real comfortable with the kind of person that Deshaun Watson is, and I don't like to publicly comment until I get all the facts," Hardin said, adding that Watson "has a great reputation here in the Houston area, and the allegations are really inconsistent with the kind of person he is."

The Texans and the NFL on Wednesday said they are aware of the matter.

"We became aware of a civil lawsuit involving Deshaun Watson through a social media post last night," the Texans' statement said. "This is the first time we heard of the matter, and we hope to learn more soon. We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously. We will await further information before making any additional statements on this incident."

The NFL has declined further comment at this time.

ESPN's John Barr contributed to this report.

Initial reaction: Blatant hit-piece by a widely regarded, to the local community, as a dirtbag, borderline incompetent attorney (see his history).

Reading the actual claim and it appears dubious.

Highly unlikely Deshaun Watson plays in Houston after this.

Anyone can file a civil lawsuit....as we have seen over the past 6 months.

You never know in these things. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't.

Now another reason I prefer Bake over Watson!

It's a very detailed allegation. That's for sure. I think the biggest thing will be how corroborating all the social media correspondence and text messages are.

I did a quick Google search, and while there are some eyebrow-raisers, nothing really screams 'dirtbag attorney'.

Maybe some of the attorneys we've been seeing in the news lately have raised that bar a bit, but I'm just not seeing it.

my concern is that there are 4 other people who are/will be coming forward.

agreed on the volume of people, but the one thing that seems sketchy to me is that they are all submitted by the same attorney.

This said, if he did it, I hope he is penalized as much as possible. I'm sick and tired of men doing this and men getting away with it.

I don't know, a masseuse flying in from Atlanta to a motel room then accusing someone of inappropriate touching sounds like someone may have gotten the wrong idea or had the wrong expectations. I'd like to see how he first made the arrangement....maybe the Instagram ad or who referred her.

Thing is, if people give him money to shut him up, it doesn't get to the papers/court. Asking for a six figure or more settlement before serving papers or filing a report makes me suspicious. Now, to me, it seems the attorney is going big in the (social) media in hopes of getting a settlement to make it all go away. More and more "lawyers" seem to focus their practice in the court of public opinion rather than courts of law.

There could be truth to it, but it feels more like a smear campaign as Watson and the Texans/Houston go through a messy divorce.

Almost makes me glad I'm not a multi-millionaire...almost.

I think that there's a fine line between skepticism and defense of the accused. If he is guilty of the things they're alleging, then they can burn him alive for all I care.

blood in the water now...

crazy... and they say there's a couple more that could come to light as well...

If that's his gig, there probably are.

That one lawyer said he was sitting on 6 in total.

I'm still where I was before, though. Figure out if he's guilty, and if he is then burn him to the ground.

This is strictly a civil case, right? Have any criminal charges been filed?

No, it looks like it's all civil, which I'm sure begets the question of why some of the accusers aren't looking to press charges if all this occurred. Not saying that I agree or disagree with that notion, just that I'm sure it's on a lot of minds.

The more I think about it, the possibility of "having to" fly a masseuse in from out of state is troubling. Did word get around about him in Houston? Or did he just want a personal masseuse after his big payday and she was recommended?

Something not good happened somewhere. It's hard to tell from which "side." Possibly both.

However this plays out will be determined but this really torpedo 's his chance of being traded. Who would want to deal with the negative publicity?

If it stays a civil matter, that publicity could remain local to Houston.

I don't see that as a remote possibility. We are on a message board now that is for Cleveland Browns fans and it has its own post in Tailgate and has been mentioned several times in Pure Football.

Now, if he wins the case you may have a point. It's like Springstein getting charged with DUI. We all heard about it when he was charged. What most people didn't hear was that in court it was found that his breathalyzer results were a .02 and the DUI charge was dismissed.

People love a good scandal and the press makes sure you hear about it. No scandal? They seem to think it isn't worth reporting.

While the 'high-profile athlete taking advantage of women' angle will always get airtime, the 'scummy lawyer doing scummy lawyer things' is a similarly familiar angle. As things are now, I would bet teams that were real interested in Watson haven't changed their approach. If actual damning evidence comes out, then that obviously changes things.

I don't know. You may be right. The things I try to keep in mind is that the NFL isn't a sport. The game of football is, the league isn't. They are a multi billion dollar corporate conglomerate with 32 teams comprising that conglomerate.

Public perception guides a lot of their moves. We've seen it with the BLM movement as well as other social issues and perceptions. As it goes with most corporations, they look out for their own best interests and business. The Me Too movement is no different.

In this case do they not only have to consider the public perception, but they would also have to gamble that nothing will be found. As we've seen in the discussion on the matter it seems most agree this could go either way as of now.

From a risk verses reward standpoint, I believe teams will either back off in a wait and see approach, or the price such teams are willing to pay for him just decreased greatly. As with anything it's a numbers game. And the odds just decreased on what you would be willing to pay in order to proceed with such a gamble.

I agree with you, although NOBODY (except him and the women involved) knows whether he is guilty or not guilty, and perception is everything for the NFL ...

It is up to 7, with 2 more this same lawyer knows of.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/3109...ringing-total-7

Yep, for the past 4-5 years, events have shown the truth does not matter. The way cancel culture is going only the seriousness of the charge seems to matter.

As long as we all recognize it's a two way street.

j/c...

22 Women!?! I don't even know what to think about this anymore.

j/c

Deshaun Watson lawsuits, explained: What to know about sexual assault allegations against Texans QB

A total of seven civil lawsuits have been filed against Deshaun Watson accusing the Texans quarterback of various incidents of sexual misconduct against massage therapists.

Houston attorney Tony Buzbee filed the first three lawsuits on March 16 and 17 related to separate incidents involving accusations from multiple massage therapists. Buzbee wrote in one of the lawsuits that Watson's behavior is part of a "disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable women," per ESPN's Sarah Barshop.

Four more lawsuits were filed March 19. Buzbee has said there are nine lawsuits in total, all filed by separate women who accuse Watson of sexual misconduct ranging from inappropriate touching to, in one instance, a forced act of oral sex.

Here is what we know so far about those lawsuits and how Watson and the NFL have responded to the accusations.

What to know about lawsuits against Deshaun Watson
Lawsuits 1 and 2

The first two lawsuits were filed by Buzbee in Harris County, Texas. The first lawsuit stems from an incident that allegedly occurred at a massage therapist's home in March 2020, and the second lawsuit stems from an incident that allegedly took place at The Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa in August 2020. The plaintiffs in both of those lawsuits are female massage therapists who filed as Jane Doe.

Both lawsuits allege that Watson committed civil assault by exposing himself and touching the plaintiffs with his penis. Both lawsuits also say the plaintiffs grew "uncomfortable" during the massages, and the women abruptly ended their sessions after Watson acted inappropriately. They did not respond to any additional attempts at communication from Watson, who initially set up the meetings via Instagram direct messages.

"It became apparent that Watson wanted a massage for only one reason — sex," the first lawsuit states.

Watson allegedly told the plaintiff involved in the March 2020 incident: "I know you have a career and a reputation, and I know you would hate for someone to mess with yours, just like I don't want anyone messing with mine." She considered Watson's remark to be a threat, per the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages in order to "prevent Watson from further like conduct."
Lawsuit 3

The third lawsuit stems from an incident that allegedly occurred at a Houston office building in December 2020. The plaintiff in the lawsuit filed as Jane Doe.

While the third lawsuit alleges a similar pattern of behavior toward the massage therapist, it also says Watson "got more aggressive, forcefully telling her to move her hand down to his pubic area." The lawsuit claims Watson forced the woman, who felt "intimidated and threatened," to perform oral sex on him and that she "did not consent."

"Plaintiff wishes she could have been more courageous and would have ended the massage," the lawsuit states. "But she felt helpless in the moment. Plaintiff was under Watson's control."
Lawsuits 4-7

Four more civil lawsuits were filed against Watson on March 19, bringing the total to seven. Three of the four lawsuits allege Watson made inappropriate contact with women during massage sessions, per Barshop. The fourth claims Watson tried to kiss a woman against her will.
Who is Tony Buzbee?

Buzbee is Houston-based lawyer of The Buzbee Law Firm. He is a former Marine officer and attended the law school at the University of Houston Law Center, according to his bio on The Buzbee Law Firm site. He has represented a number of high-profile clients, including former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

He has also previously run for public office, most recently launching an unsuccessful campaign for mayor of Houston in 2019 against incumbent Sylvester Turner.

In an Instagram post shared from his verified account on March 18, Buzbee said that the Buzbee Law Firm has been hired by nine women to bring cases against Watson, though only three had been filed at that time.

"The allegations are similar. We have filed three, and, as we complete our due diligence, will file the remaining ones in due course," the post read. "We are talking to several others. [Buzbee's associate] Cornelia [Brandfield-Harvey] and I appreciate the kind words, and outpouring of support for these brave women who are wiling to come forward and be heard.

"No matter what you do in life, there will always be detractors. As my dad always said: 'If you are right, go ahead!' And so we go."

What has Deshaun Watson said?

Watson posted the following statement to Twitter on March 16:

As a result of a social media post by a publicity-seeking plaintiff's lawyer, I recently became aware of a lawsuit that has apparently been filed against me. I have not yet seen the complaint, but I know this: I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect. The plaintiff's lawyer claims that this isn't about money, but before filing 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.

Houston-based attorney Rusty Hardin told ESPN that he spoke with Watson on March 17 and has agreed to represent him.

"I'm real comfortable with the kind of person that Deshaun Watson is, and I don't like to publicly comment until I get all the facts," Hardin said, adding that Watson "has a great reputation here in the Houston area, and the allegations are really inconsistent with the kind of person he is."

Watson's agent, David Mulugheta, shared his thoughts on the lawsuits in a tweet posted on March 19:

Sexual assault is real. Victims should be heard, offenders prosecuted.

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.
11:28 AM · Mar 19, 2021

Are the Texans, NFL investigating Deshaun Watson?

The Texans released the following statement on March 17:

We became aware of a civil lawsuit involving Deshaun Watson through a social media post last night. This is the first time we heard of the matter, and we hope to learn more soon. We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously. We will await further information before making any additional statements on this incident.

Pro Football Talk reported March 19 that Lisa Friel, the NFL's special counsel for investigations, wrote Buzbee a letter telling him the league has begun an investigation. She requested that Buzbee and his clients cooperate with it.

Buzbee posted, then deleted, and then reposted the letter on his Instagram page. He eventually wrote that his side "will cooperate with the NFL's investigation and with any other investigative authorities."

An anonymous league official told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the league is investigating Watson under its personal conduct policy. The Texans said in a second statement on March 19 (per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle) that they would "stay in close contact" with the league during the investigation.

Additionally, teams that may be interested in potentially trading for Watson are monitoring the situation, according to Schefter.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news...7s12b9h4aq6bqqz

No. You have to wonder why not one of these women pressed charges. Do we know if any of these incidents were reported to authorities before civil suits were filed?

j/c:

Texans' Deshaun Watson now faces sexual misconduct claims from 22 women and a DOZEN lawsuits as their lawyer says the most recent incident happened this month AFTER he was confronted with the allegations

Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson is now facing sexual misconduct allegations from 22 women, a dozen of whom have already filed lawsuits or are in the process of doing so, according to their attorney.

Read more:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...s.html#comments

Nothing to see here. Boys will be boys. Everyone move on.

Geez.

wow... this is getting crazy...

It is crazy.

Many considerations:

1) Deshaun Watson is a serial sexual predator and should be in prison. See Bill Cosby.

2) This is the worst case of character assassination of all time. The attorney is supposedly friends with the Texans owner. All victims went to the same attorney?

3) The Texans knew about this and covered it up and are no longer hiding it now that Watson wants out. The timing is curious.

It seems implausible that Watson could allegedly sexually assault 22 women and counting without being enabled or people looking the other way.

A few reasons. In a criminal trial it has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Watson is guilty of the crimes. To be honest, that is hard in sex cases because it usually boils down to a he said/ she said deal, and people are reluctant to put people in prison in cases like that.

Second, there is no money involved, so the person has to hire an attorney, and that costs money.

Third, in a civil trial it is no longer the threshold of proving beyond reasonable doubt. All the plaintiff has to do is tip the scales of justice a fraction in their favor to gain remedy.

In this case, as far as I know, out and out rape isn't being claimed. A jury is more apt to agree with the women that Watson was acting in a lewd manner and maybe doing a little more touching than welcomed. That deserves punishment if he keeps acting that way after the advances are deemed unwelcomed, but probably not jail time.

A jury is more comfortable in to more or less fining the guy over putting him in jail.

Deshaun may be guilty, he may not be guilty it's not for me to judge. But one thing I will say it's now a huge headache and I can't see any organization wanting to trade for him now. JMO

I agree with that. But apparently none of these incidents were even reported to authorities prior to the civil suits. The sheer numbers of women coming forth are removing a lot of doubt, though.