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According to the complaint, the woman had two sessions with Watson at her home. The first was described as “professional.” He paid her $100, asked her to “just keep this between us,” then left abruptly after receiving a phone call, according to the lawsuit.
But she alleges that the second session, held five days later, had a different tenor. The suit claims that Watson “became aggressive” in demanding she massage his inner thighs and that, at some point, Watson got an erection, began masturbating and then ejaculated, with some of his ejaculate landing on her face and chest. According to the lawsuit, Watson paid the plaintiff $150 through an app.
The woman, according to the complaint, was so traumatized by the situation that she quit massage therapy shortly thereafter. She allegedly has suffered depression and anxiety and has experienced difficulty sleeping as a result of her encounter with Watson. The lawsuit says she has “considered” seeking counseling.
The lawsuit includes a summation of patterns in the 24 civil cases against Watson, noting alleged trends in which he would supposedly seek out massage therapists on Instagram. It cites the repeated allegations of Watson bringing a small towel or insisting one be used instead of a typical draping; how he’d often drive significant distances for the sessions; how he’d demand no one else be present and often request the focus of the sessions to be on his groin or buttocks areas; and how his behavior would often become more aggressive before escalating to alleged sexual harassment or assault.
The latest suit also cites last week’s comments by Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, in which he said during a radio interview that “a happy ending” is “not a crime.”
“I don’t know how many men are out there now that have had a massage that, perhaps, occasionally there was a happy ending, all right?” Hardin said Friday on SportsRadio 610 in Houston. “Maybe there’s nobody in your listening audience that that ever happened to. I do want to point out, if it has happened, it’s not a crime, okay? Unless you are paying somebody extra or so to give you some type of sexual activity, it’s not a crime. … Doing something or saying something or being a way that makes you uncomfortable is not a crime. And so, we’ve had two grand juries find that and nobody seems to want to listen.”
Hardin issued a statement later that evening contending he was using the term “hypothetically” and Watson “did not pay anyone for sex.”
“I have reiterated to others it’s not [okay] to do anything that a woman does not agree to do,” Hardin said in last week’s statement, while also saying again that Watson has acknowledged “consensual sexual activity” with three of the women who have sued him. “These women have alleged assault in their pleadings. I was speaking in a hypothetical situation. If there is a consensual sexual encounter after a massage, that is not a crime nor the basis for a civil lawsuit. I was not talking about what Deshaun did or did not do or expected or did not expect.”
The complaint filed Monday contends that the “public comments made by Watson’s defense team evidence a belief system that explains Watson’s conduct: [W]hen Watson contacts a random massage therapist on Instagram for a massage, unbeknownst to the therapist, Watson is wanting more than a massage — his ’thing’ is using his celebrity to make a massage session into something more.”
The plaintiff is, like other accusers, represented by attorney Tony Buzbee.
The NFL declined to comment on the latest lawsuit, saying through a spokesman that “the matter remains under review.” The Browns did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hardin and Watson have denied the previous allegations. Hardin did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment on the latest lawsuit. In March, two grand juries in Texas declined to charge Watson with a crime.
The NFL has been conducting its own investigation and has interviewed Watson, who faces potential discipline under the league’s personal conduct policy. The initial ruling will be made by a disciplinary officer jointly appointed by the league and the NFL Players Association. Either side can appeal the ruling to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Goodell late last month that the league’s investigation was nearly complete, although it’s unclear if the latest lawsuits will affect the timing.
The Browns acquired Watson this offseason in a trade with the Houston Texans and signed him to a new five-year contract worth a guaranteed $230 million. Watson did not play at all last season, being placed on the Texans’ game-day inactive list each week.
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