A third civil suit alleging sexual assault was filed against Houston Texans superstar quarterback, Deshaun Watson, as he continues to maintains his innocence.
Attorney Tony Buzbee filed the claim in Harris County, Texas, late Wednesday and appeared on the county website Thursday morning. A massage therapist is accusing Watson of sexual assault by allegedly forcing her to have oral sex with him in December 2020.
Two previous lawsuits against Watson, also filed by massage therapists, made claims of “civil assault” by touching the women with his penis.
Buzbee, who has gone on the offensive using social media, said Wednesday via Instagram he knows of six cases against Watson. Three have been filed.
Watson, 25, hired prominent Houston defense attorney Rusty Hardin, who notably has represented former MLB star pitcher Roger Clemens and future Hall-of-Fame running back Adrian Peterson.
Via Twitter, Watson said he declined a “six-figure settlement demand” and considers the claims “baseless.”
“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 Tuesday. “I have not yet seen the complaint, but I know this: I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect….
“This isn’t about money for me — it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that.”
“I’m real comfortable with the kind of person that Deshaun Watson is, and I don’t like to publicly comment until I get all the facts,” Hardin said in an ESPN interview after the first two lawsuits were filed.
Hardin said, “the allegations are really inconsistent with the kind of person he is.”
Watson had been prominent in offseason headlines prior to the allegations Tuesday because of a standoff with the Texans that began with the quarterback demanding a trade.
The Texans issued a statement Wednesday and said they would await further information before making additional comments.
“We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously,” the statement said.
Last September, Watson signed a four-year, $156 million contract extension with the Texans, with $73.7 million guaranteed at signing.
The Texans remain steadfast that they don’t want to trade Watson, but the star appears to be done with the organization after they traded away star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, fired their GM and head coach, Bill O’Brien, and did not go to him for input when hiring their new general manager or coach.
The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins considered initial favorites in the Watson sweepstakes while the Philadelphia Eagles were believed to be interested, but his marketplace could take a sizable hit as allegations continue to roll in.
