Note: This story contains graphic content.
A licensed massage therapist has accused Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault.
Prominent lawyer Tony Buzbee, a former Houston mayoral candidate, filed the lawsuit late Tuesday. He first shared brief information in a post on Instagram, saying the litigation was “about dignity and stopping behavior that should be stopped.”
The massage therapist, identified as Jane Doe, said she had never met Watson before or dealt with any members of the Texans organization. She received a direct message from the Pro Bowl quarterback on Instagram on March 28, 2020, she said.
The masseuse said she was confused as to why an NFL player would want a massage from her, because she figured Watson had access to an entire team of trainers. Still, she was excited to grow her business.
Watson allegedly told her he was seeking a massage for relaxation, not a typical sports massage, despite her marketing indicating she specializes in sports massages, the lawsuit states.
They scheduled a massage for March 30, and Watson specifically asked if the masseuse would be alone at the house, she claims. The question gave her pause, but she dismissed it, knowing he might want privacy because of his celebrity.
She left him alone at the start of the massage and came back to find him on the massage table, completely naked and with only a small towel covering his groin area, the masseuse alleges in the lawsuit. He then began to “aggressively dictate” how he wanted the massage to be performed, telling only to use her hands and to focus on his groin area, she said.
After about 25 minutes, she began to feel extremely uncomfortable, she said.
“It became apparent that Watson wanted a massage for only one reason – sex,” the lawsuit reads.
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The massage therapist said she was scared and not wanting to upset the “much bigger and athletic Watson.” He kept telling her she wasn’t massaging him the way he wanted and multiple times directed her to his penis, she claims in the filing.
At one point, he exposed his penis from under the towel and moved his body to purposefully touch her hand with his penis, she said in the lawsuit.
The masseuse ended the massage, she said. Scared and crying, she said she asked him to leave.
Before leaving, he allegedly told 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,” according to the lawsuit.
Watson texted to apologize, she said, and weeks later she received messages from two other football players who said Watson referred them to her.
She has since suffered panic attacks, depression, anxiety and sleep difficulties, she said.
Watson responded to the claims, in which the masseuse alleges Watson touched her inappropriately during a massage session at her home in March 2020.
“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 said in his response. “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 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.”
The statement went on to say that “this isn’t about money for me — it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that.”
Prominent Houston defense attorney Rusty Hardin is representing Watson in the lawsuit, he confirmed. Hardin, who has represented other athletes such as Roger Clemens, was not available for comment Wednesday.
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Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and former Houston mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee are pictured together in this composite photo.
Houston Chronicle
The Texans on Wednesday morning issued a separate statement addressing the allegations.
“We became aware of a civil lawsuit involving Deshaun Watson through a social media post last night,” the statement reads. “This is the first time we 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.”
Watson has been locked in a standoff with the Texans after formally requesting a trade in January.
Watson reiterated his feelings clearly and politely about wanting to be traded in a recent conversation with coach David Culley and remains intentional in his desire to never play another down for the AFC South franchise, multiple league sources previously told the Houston Chronicle. The team, however, remains steadfast in not wanting to trade him.
The Texans finalized a one-year contract Tuesday with former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who would likely operate as the starting quarterback in Watson’s absence, according to earlier reports.
