Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson is now facing sexual misconduct allegations from 22 unidentified women, a dozen of whom have already filed lawsuits or are in the process of doing so.
The 25-year-old quarterback was initially sued for civil assault by two Jane Does earlier this week, but attorney Tony Buzbee says that a total of 20 more accusers have come forward since. Most of the women are masseuses who claim Watson exposed himself and touched them with his penis during private sessions, according to the seven filings obtained by DailyMail.com. One woman also says he forced her to perform oral sex, while two others say he tried to kiss them.
‘We are now representing 12 women and we will file five more cases in due course,’ Buzbee said at a press conference on Friday. ‘We have spoken to more than 10 additional women.’
The most recent incident allegedly took place this month, which was after Buzbee says he confronted Watson and his agent with the original claims.
All but a few meetings were allegedly initiated by Watson over social media, but Buzbee said that one of the masseuses was referred to him by a member of the Texans organization while another was referred by his personal quarterback coach.
Buzbee said he has been in touch with police, who are now looking into the matter.
Watson has not been charged with any crimes. He issued a denial after the initial lawsuit was filed earlier this week, saying he has ‘never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect.’
The Texans declined DailyMail.com’s request for further comment on Friday, but in a previous statement, a spokesperson simply said the team will stay in contact with the NFL as it conducts an investigation into the claims.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is now being sued for sexual misconduct by seven women as four more made court filings in Texas on Thursday echoing three female masseuses’ claims that he exposed himself and touched them with his penis during a private session
Watson was initially sued for civil assault by two women earlier this week, but attorney Tony Buzbee (pictured) says that a total of 20 more accusers have come forward since. Most of the women are masseuses who claim Watson exposed himself and touched them with his penis during private sessions, according to the seven filings obtained by DailyMail.com. One woman also says he forced her to perform oral sex, while two others say he tried to kiss them
Buzbee also claims to have incriminating text messages from Watson to his accusers.
‘Sorry about you feeling uncomfortable,’ read one of Watson’s purported text messages, which Buzbee posted on Instagram. ‘Never were the intensions. Lmk if you want to work in the future. My apologies.’
In another text, purportedly sent by Watson ahead of an appointment, he asked the masseuse if she was ‘comfortable with the glute area.’
As of Friday, just seven of the expected 12 lawsuits had been filed in Harris County (Texas) court. Four of those lawsuits were filed on Thursday and revealed Friday morning.
Like the other accusers, those four women are all identified as Jane Doe and are seeking unspecified damages after suffering mental anguish, and in some cases physical pain, as a result of Watson’s actions. Included among the four new plaintiffs are a massage therapist, an esthetician, a professional who owns her own fitness company, and a woman who operates a stretch therapy business.
Houston attorney Tony Buzbee claims to have a text message from Watson to one of his accusers in which he offers an apology for making her feel uncomfortable (above)
Two of Watson’s newest accusers say he forcibly tried to kiss them, while all four say he exposed himself and either touched them with his penis or tried to do so.
Each of the seven plaintiffs who have already filed are suing for civil assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress while the woman who claims she was forced to perform oral sex is also suing for sexual assault.
‘Most of these women work in the massage industry,’ Buzbee said. ‘Some work at spas, some work from their homes.
‘These are, for the most part, licensed professionals… Many of them are single mothers; they own their own shop or work for a spa.
‘Seven of these women… are African American, two are hispanic, and three are Caucasian.
‘Three of them are married, one of them is engaged, and like I said, many are single mothers.
‘All of the cases that we have filed – and we have vetted each one very carefully – allege the same or similar conduct. Three of the women we represent are undergoing intensive therapy as a result of of the defendant’s conduct.’
Buzbee also has a text which he claims shows Watson asking the plaintiff about his ‘glute area’
His agent, David Mulugheta, broke his silence on Friday to suggest that the accusers are lying.
‘Individuals fabricate stories in pursuit of financial gain often,’ Mulugheta said in a statement. ‘Their victims should be heard, and those offenders also prosecuted.’
The lawsuits all contain similar accusations, which the plaintiffs argue is part of a pattern for the former Clemson star.
‘Watson’s behavior is part of a disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable women,’ read several of the lawsuits, which were all filed by Buzbee.
Buzbee has insisted after Tuesday’s filing that the case wasn’t about money.
Watson, in his denial, accused Buzbee of demanding a six-figure settlement prior to filing the first lawsuit on Tuesday. Buzbee did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Watson’s agent, David Mulugheta, broke his silence to suggest that the accusers are lying
One of the women who sued Watson on Thursday said he became aroused during a massage and tried to move in a way to force her to touch his penis. Eventually, she claims, Watson ejaculated in front of her, prompting the woman to stop the session and leave the room.
Among the other new accusations is an esthetician’s claim that Watson offered her a massage at their first session, which she declined, and later insisted she stayed in the room while he undressed.
He allegedly told her to focus on his thighs and buttocks and eventually flipped back over, at which point he was allegedly erect and completely exposed. She says she told Watson that he was being inappropriate.
At another appointment in October, the esthetician says, Watson asked her to touch his penis and even tried to kiss her before she abruptly ended the session. Watson promptly left afterwards.
Yet another woman who sued Watson on Thursday said he told her that he makes ‘a lot of massage therapists uncomfortable’ and it’s really hard for him to find someone who will ‘meet [his] needs.’
That masseuse said Watson asked to wash before one session, which she said was fine and instructed him to cover up when he exited the shower. However, according to the filing obtained by DailyMail.com, Watson allegedly was completely exposed when he returned and refused her insistence that he put on a towel.
Watson later exposed his penis to the woman several times during the session and even joked that she could move it if it was in the way, according to the filing.
One of the seven alleged incidents is said to have taken place at Watson’s suite at The Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa (pictured) on August 28, 2020
In a filing from Wednesday, Watson was also accused of forcing one woman to perform oral sex on him. She says she never consented and actually ‘blacked out for a few minutes from the fear,’ according to the filing obtained by DailyMail.com. That plaintiff also says she was so shaken that she defecated and needed to go to the bathroom to clean herself.
His first accuser said Watson contacted her over Instagram in March of 2020 and after arriving at her home, made it clear that he wanted to have a sexual encounter, according to the filing obtained by DailyMail.com.
Watson allegedly guided the woman’s hands towards his genitals at several points during the massage before exposing his erect penis. The plaintiff says he then ‘purposely touched [her] hand with the tip,’ according to the filing.
The woman, saying she was ‘shocked and mortified,’ claims she promptly ended the massage and began to cry.
She also says that Watson made a veiled threat, telling her: ‘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.’
Buzbee wrote on social media that ‘this case we just filed against Watson isn’t about money — it’s about dignity and stopping behavior that should be stopped, NOW!’
Later, she says, Watson offered an apology over text message.
The masseuse is seeking unspecified damages due to the ‘mental anguish’ she suffered as a result of the alleged incident.
His second accuser, also identified as ‘Jane Doe,’ says he contacted her through Instagram in August of 2020 and arranged for a private session at his Houston-area hotel suite. It was there, on August 28, that Watson allegedly exposed himself and refused to cover up, saying he ‘gets hot easily. He later touched her hand with his penis, she claims.
That plaintiff also says he tried to direct her hands towards his anus and even requested she apply oil to the area, according to the filing obtained by DailyMail.com.
The woman says she began crying and ended the massage, at which point she ordered an Uber so she could be driven to the airport and fly back to her home in Atlanta. Watson, she says, paid only half of what she was owed and later attempted to contact her again, but she did not respond.
A third accuser, who was newly engaged and just out of chiropractic school at the time of the alleged incident, says she and Watson agreed to meet at a Houston office building on December 28 and 10am.
Upon arriving, the woman says she was asked by Watson to massage his ‘inner thighs’ and ‘inner glutes.’ Watson ‘got more aggressive’ according to the woman and ultimately ‘coerced [Jane Doe] to move her mouth toward his penis, forcing [Jane Doe] to perform oral sex on him.’
The masseuse said she never consented and was so fearful that she ‘blacked out for a few minutes.’
Although the woman claims she was terrified of the larger Watson, who stands 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, she says he seemed unaffected by the ordeal and left as though nothing had happened.
It was then, she says, that she defecated herself because she was so shaken over what had transpired.
One of Watson’s seven accusers, who is also identified as ‘Jane Doe,’ says he contacted her through Instagram in August of 2020 and arranged for a private session at his Houston-area hotel suite, where he ultimately exposed himself and touched the woman’s hand with his penis. The plaintiff also says he tried to direct her hands towards his anus and even requested she apply oil to the area, according to the filing obtained by DailyMail.com (pictured)
Watson has not issued any further statements, but in his initial denial, he stated that he has never mistreated women.
‘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,’ Watson wrote on social media. ‘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 allegations come at a precarious time for the Texans and Watson, who has reportedly demanded a trade from Houston amid the club’s roster overhaul. The team has responded by steadfastly refusing to deal the three-time Pro Bowl selection, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini
‘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.’
Buzbee is well known in Houston following a failed mayoral bid in 2019.
The Texans also released a statement after the initial accusation: ‘This is the first time we have 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 allegations come at a precarious time for the Texans and Watson, who has reportedly demanded a trade from Houston amid the club’s roster overhaul.
The team has responded by steadfastly refusing to deal the three-time Pro Bowl selection, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
Houston recently released defensive end JJ Watt, a franchise cornerstone and local hero who has since signed with the Arizona Cardinals.
Prior to the 2020 season, Watson signed a massive four-year, $156 million contact that included $110 million guaranteed.
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, in his denial, insisted the first suit is about money