NFL investigating latest lawsuit against Watson

Daniel Oyefusi, ESPNSep 10, 2024, 01:49 PM ET

Daniel Oyefusi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald, as well as the Baltimore Ravens for The Baltimore Sun. You can follow him on Twitter @DanielOyefusi.The NFL says it is reviewing a civil lawsuit filed Monday accusing Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and battery in October 2020 when he was a member of the Houston Texans.

“We are reviewing the complaint, and we will look into the matter under the personal conduct policy. Not looking at commissioner’s exempt list as there’s been no formal charges and the league’s review has just begun,” league spokesperson Brian McCarthy said.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Harris County, Texas, the alleged actions occurred before Watson and a woman, who goes by the pseudonym “Jane Doe” in the court filing, were set to have dinner at the woman’s apartment.

The lawsuit states that Watson met the woman, a single mother, at a Houston restaurant and bar, managed to get her phone number and initially attempted to have her meet him at the Houston Galleria for a date. Reluctant to meet Watson in public, the woman instead agreed to a dinner date at her apartment, according to the lawsuit.

On the evening of the date, according to the lawsuit, she said Watson had trouble finding her apartment and began aggressively yelling and screaming at her on the phone, saying he didn’t “have time for this.”

The lawsuit alleges that, while applying makeup in her bathroom, the woman then found Watson “completely naked on her bed, lying face down on his stomach.” Watson then requested that the woman massage his buttocks and the woman “tried to appease Watson by rubbing his back, rather than his buttocks,” according to the lawsuit.

Watson then turned over and “continued to demand that Jane Doe massage him, gesturing from his knees to his groin,” according to the lawsuit. The woman told Watson that she was not a masseuse, to which Watson asked her what she wanted to do instead, the suit alleges.

Before the woman could answer, Watson “partially disrobed Jane Doe and penetrated her vagina without consent, implicit or explicit,” according to the lawsuit, which also alleges that Watson sexually assaulted the woman for several minutes before she escaped and grabbed a heavy piece of decor for self-defense. Watson then “stormed out of Jane Doe’s apartment,” according to the lawsuit.

In a statement to ESPN, a Browns spokesperson said, “We will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL’s guidelines on this matter.”

Watson, 28, served an 11-game suspension in 2022 after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions. A pair of Texas grand juries declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson, but he served his suspension after the NFL and the NFL Players Association reached a settlement in his disciplinary matter.

Watson also had to pay a fine of $5 million and undergo mandatory evaluation by behavioral experts and follow their suggested treatment program before being reinstated by the league.

Watson settled 23 of the 24 civil lawsuits filed against him in the summer of 2022.

The lawsuit filed Monday is unrelated to the lone suit remaining from the women who accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. However, the same attorney, Tony Buzbee, is representing the latest woman to sue Watson.

In March 2022, the Browns traded six draft picks, including three first-round picks, for Watson and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million deal, which was an NFL record at the time.

The suspension and injuries have limited Watson to just 13 starts with Cleveland, which includes a 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday — his first game since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery last November. Watson completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions in the loss.

ESPN’s John Barr contributed to this report.