CNN
—
Less than two months after settling 23 lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct, a new civil lawsuit was filed against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson Thursday in Houston.
The plaintiff, who sued as ‘Jane Doe’, alleged that Watson pressured her into having sex during a professional massage session at a Houston hotel in late 2020 Watson was a Houston Texans player at the time.
“During the massage, Watson continually pressured the plaintiff to massage his private area,” the lawsuit states. The complainant said Watson “was able to pressure her into having oral sex” and paid her more than double her normal fees as a masseuse.
Doe accuses Watson of civil assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
CNN reached out to Browns and Watson defense attorney Rusty Hardin Thursday night for comment.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement Friday, “Watson’s status remains unchanged. We will monitor the progress of the newly filed litigation; and any conduct that warrants further investigation or possible additional sanctions would be addressed in the personal conduct policy.
Although Watson has already settled all but one of the civil sexual misconduct lawsuits against him, he has denied wrongdoing in those cases, and two grand juries separately declined to indict him on criminal charges.
Watson was fined $5 million by the NFL and is currently suspended for 11 games, but is eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 28.
