Name: UPDATE: Texans QB Deshaun Watson Accused Of Sexual Assault By 2 Massage Therapists | Houston Public Media
Brand: houstonpublicmedia.org
SKU: houstonpublicmedia-org-72
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

UPDATE: Texans QB Deshaun Watson Accused Of Sexual Assault By 2 Massage Therapists | Houston Public Media

preview

Updated 6:29 p.m. CTThe following story contains graphic descriptions of alleged sexual assault.Two massage therapists have now accused Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault during a massage sessions last year, according to a pair of lawsuits filed this week.Houston lawyer and former mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee announced the latest lawsuit on Instagram Wednesday, where he said he will be filing four separate lawsuits against Watson on behalf of his accusers."My associate, Cornelia, and I will file the second of what is now four cases on behalf of women against Deshaun Watson today,” Buzbee wrote. “The cases allege assault."View this post on InstagramAs of Wednesday afternoon, two cases had been filed against the NFL star in Harris County District Court.Both suits allege Watson requested a private massage from the women.The first suit, filed Tuesday on behalf of a Texas massage therapist who works from home, alleged that during a March 2020 massage session, Watson allegedly stated that he wanted her to focus on his groin area, according to the civil complaint.Towards the end of the session, Watson allegedly exposed himself to the masseuse and purposefully brushed himself against the woman’s hand, according to court documents.The masseuse abruptly ended the massage and asked Watson to leave her home, she said. Before leaving, Watson threatened her career, according to court documents.“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,” the lawsuit quotes him as saying.The suit also says Watson apologized via text message after the incident.Buzbee announced that he filed the lawsuit against Watson via Facebook Tuesday night, and said that he was proud “to represent those who have no perceived power against those who have PERCEIVED power.”“Too many times women have put up with behavior that we all know no one should put up with. Should we make excuses for the famous? Or those who hold special positions, or quarterbacks on a local professional football team? I don't think so!,” he wrote. “This case we just filed against Watson isn't about money—it's about dignity and stopping behavior that should be stopped, NOW!”The second lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleged that Watson flew an Atlanta-based massage therapist into Houston for a session at the Houstonian Hotel in August 2020. The woman, who is a single mother of two, said Watson got completely nude as the session began, and refused to cover himself, stating that he "gets hot easily."During the session, Watson allegedly continually attempted to redirect the woman to focus more on his glutes, and then repeatedly asked her to massage or touch parts of his body including his anal and genital areas, according to the civil complaint. The woman says she was uncomfortable, but needed the money to support her children. She ignored his request and began working on his inner thigh area, which prompted Watson to become more aggressive, the complaint said.Watson then allegedly moved his body towards her, purposefully brushing against the woman's hand, according to court documents. After Watson allegedly refused to cover himself again, the woman ended the session and left while Watson showered.Court documents say Watson only paid the woman half of what she was owed, but the woman was disturbed by the incident and didn't attempt to seek out the second half of her payment.Court documents say the massage therapist began suffering from depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and difficulty sleeping after the incident occured.Both suits are seeking unspecified reimbursement for damages, including loss of earnings, mental pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life and peace of mind, past and future, among other things.— Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson)Watson denied the accusations on Twitter Tuesday night.“I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect,” he wrote.Watson went on to say the accusations were financially motivated, and wrote that Buzbee proposed a six-figure settlement before filing the lawsuit.“Unlike him, this isn’t about money for me – it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that,” he wrote.In a , the Texans on Wednesday morning said they became aware of the first lawsuit through social media Tuesday night.“This is the first time we heard of the matter, and we hope to learn more soon,” the team said. “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.”Fill out the form below to subscribe our new daily editorial newsletter from the HPM Newsroom.· The Texans previously donated $400,000 to the Robb Elementary School memorial fund after 19 children and two teachers were killed in a shooting there in May.· Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who is funding the project, says it will provide another transportation option for residents near NRG Stadium and other popular destinations.· The cuts will reduce the cost of the four most-ordered concession items by an average of 20 percent.· Watson and the Cleveland Browns found out the severity of his punishment on Monday, when he was&nbsp;suspended without pay for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Updated 6:29 p.m. CTThe following story contains graphic descriptions of alleged sexual assault.Two massage therapists have now accused Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault during a massage sessions last year, according to a pair of lawsuits filed this week.Houston lawyer and former mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee announced the latest lawsuit on Instagram Wednesday, where he said he will be filing four separate lawsuits against Watson on behalf of his accusers."My associate, Cornelia, and I will file the second of what is now four cases on behalf of women against...

UPDATE: Texans QB Deshaun Watson Accused Of Sexual Assault By 2 Massage Therapists | Houston Public Media

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS