Deshaun Watson is accused of sexual assault in new lawsuit stemming from an alleged incident in 2020

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was sued on Monday by a woman in Harris County, Texas. She accuses Watson of sexual assault and battery as well as intentional infliction of emotional distress. The incident allegedly occurred during a date at the woman's apartment in October 2020.

The lawsuit comes more than two years after Watson reached settlements with more than two dozen women who accused him of sexual misconduct. Between 2020 and 2021, 24 women filed claims of assault or harassment.

According to Monday's lawsuit, Watson first met the woman in July 2020 at a Houston restaurant. After exchanging text messages for a while, he asked her to meet in October, and the woman invited Watson to her apartment for dinner. The lawsuit alleges Watson called the woman on her cellphone and “aggressively screamed and yelled, stating he could not find her apartment.” He then arrived and undressed while waiting for the woman to get ready in her bathroom.

When the woman came out of her bathroom, she found Watson “completely naked on her bed,” according to the complaint. Watson then insisted that she massage his butt, even though the woman reiterated that she was not a massage therapist. She said she was scared and tried to massage his back instead. Watson turned around, the complaint says, then grabbed her and sexually assaulted her for several minutes. She eventually fled and grabbed a piece of furniture in self-defense, the complaint says, and Watson walked away.

The Browns and the NFL declined to comment. Rusty Hardin & Associates, which has represented Watson in previous litigation, did not respond to a request for comment on the latest allegations.

“This is an extremely serious matter,” said Tony Buzbee, the woman's lawyer The athlete in an email. “We intend to pursue this case with the same aggressiveness with which we have pursued the others. We want a jury trial.”

According to the lawsuit, the woman was discouraged from going public with her story after seeing how Watson's defense attorneys and the public had treated women who had previously made allegations. The lawsuit states that she initially tried to resolve the issues with Watson without filing a public lawsuit, but those efforts failed.

As a result of the alleged incident, the lawsuit states, the woman is suffering from severe mental anguish, panic attacks, depression and anxiety. She is demanding damages of over one million dollars.

(Photo: Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)