Deshaun Watson sued for sexual assault: Browns QB named in disturbing new lawsuit related to 2020 incident

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is accused of sexual assault in 2020 in a lawsuit filed Monday in Texas. The lawsuit, a copy of which CBS Sports has obtained and reviewed, was filed by attorney Tony Buzbee, who also represented many of the more than 25 women who had previously sued Watson for sexual assault of varying degrees.

The previous lawsuits were settled out of courtThe NFL punished Watson with a 11 game suspension before the 2022 season.

Watson is accused of sexual assault and battery in the latest lawsuit. The woman, referred to as “Jane Doe,” claims she had an extremely disturbing encounter with Watson in her home in October 2020.

“This is an extremely serious matter,” Buzbee said in a statement to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. “We intend to pursue this case with the same aggressiveness with which we have pursued the others. We want a jury trial. As for specific comments on the facts of the case, we believe the lawsuit speaks for itself.”

The plaintiff claims she was approached at a Houston bar by Watson's representatives who asked for her phone number for the quarterback. Doe says she was “flattered” by Watson's approach and gave the representative her phone number; soon after, she and Watson began “texting sporadically for several months.” Doe subsequently declined an invitation to an event at the Houston Galleria, but claims she invited Watson to dinner at her apartment.

The lawsuit alleges that Watson agreed to meet at her apartment, but then called Doe's cellphone on the night of October 10, 2020, “aggressively screaming,” telling Doe he couldn't find the apartment and that he “didn't have time for this.”

When Watson finally arrived, Doe claims, she was not ready as she “hadn't finished her makeup yet.” She says Watson was invited to sit in the living room while she tried to start a conversation. When she got no response, Doe thought Watson might have left, so she left the bathroom and allegedly found him “completely naked on her bed, lying face down on his stomach.”

Doe then claims Watson “turned his head and aggressively insisted that she massage him, pointing to his butt.” She describes her reaction as “terrified” and claims she “attempted to appease Watson by rubbing his back instead of his butt.” Watson allegedly “turned around and revealed an erection” and then “continued to demand that Jane Doe massage him, pointing from his knees to his groin.”

The plaintiff claims to have told Watson she was not a massage therapist, at which point Watson “asked her what she wanted to do instead.” The lawsuit then details in specific and graphic detail what allegedly happened next:

Editor's Note: The following passage is taken directly from the complaint and contains graphic descriptions of the alleged sexual assault.

“Before Jane Doe could respond, Watson grabbed Jane Doe's leg and positioned her so that she was lying down. Watson then partially undressed Jane Doe and penetrated her vagina without express or implied consent. Jane Doe felt paralyzed and was unsure whether to risk her safety by attempting to stop Watson or endure his attack. Watson roughly abused Jane Doe in a “missionary position” for several minutes before grabbing her and turning her over. Watson continued to attack Jane Doe from behind. Jane Doe eventually mustered the courage and strength to escape Watson. Jane Doe quickly ran to the dresser to grab a heavy decorative piece in self-defense and yelled at Watson [to] Out of her apartment. Watson stormed out of Jane Doe's apartment in anger.

The lawsuit, filed in Harris County court, seeks more than $1 million in damages because Watson's alleged violation of three sections of the Texas Penal Code (public nuisance, assault and sexual assault) made Doe the victim of a person who knowingly inflicted physical and mental pain and suffering, physical impairment, loss of enjoyment of life and peace of mind, reasonable and necessary counseling and therapy, and other harm as will be proven at trial.

The standard statute of limitations for cases like this is two years, but in Texas it is five years, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted.

The NFL declined to comment through a spokesperson when contacted by CBS Sports. The Browns have not yet issued a statement on the matter.

What happens next?

This is a civil case, so from a legal perspective, Watson's biggest issue would be having to pay damages to the plaintiff. However, the NFL could view this case as evidence of a conduct violation or a breach of his negotiated suspension. Given Watson's notoriously disastrous contract, the Browns could potentially seek to void some or all of his future guarantees.

Watson's behavior was previously described by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as “predatory.” Goodell said the league believes the quarterback's first punishment should have been a full-season suspension. Part of Watson's collectively negotiated 11-game suspension was punishment for all similar incidents from 2019 to 2021. However, the NFL has the authority to launch investigations “if new allegations of a different nature arise against Watson,” according to NFL.com.

Unlike previous cases, this lawsuit specifically alleges sexual abuse, which could lead the league to classify the lawsuit in a different category.