Lawsuit accuses Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and assault of the Browns

A new civil lawsuit filed in Houston on Monday accuses Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and battery in October 2020 when he was a member of the Houston Texans.

According to the lawsuit, the alleged incident occurred before Watson and a woman, who appears in court filings under the pseudonym “Jane Doe,” had arranged to have dinner at the woman’s apartment.

The lawsuit says Watson met the woman, a single mother, at a Houston restaurant and bar, got her phone number and initially tried to persuade her to go on a date at the Houston Galleria. Not wanting to meet Watson in public, the woman agreed to have dinner at her apartment instead, the lawsuit says.

On the night of the date, the lawsuit says, Watson said he had trouble finding her apartment and began aggressively yelling at her on the phone, saying he “didn’t have time for this.”

The lawsuit alleges that while the woman was putting on makeup in her bathroom, she found Watson “completely naked on her bed, lying face down on his stomach.” Watson then asked the woman to rub his butt, and the woman “attempted to soothe Watson by rubbing his back instead of his butt,” according to the lawsuit.

Watson then turned around and “continued to demand that Jane Doe massage him, pointing from his knees to his groin,” the lawsuit states. The woman told Watson that she was not a massage therapist, at which point Watson asked her what she wanted to do instead, the lawsuit states.

Before the woman could respond, Watson “partially undressed Jane Doe and penetrated her vagina without her express or implied consent,” the complaint states. The complaint also alleges that Watson sexually assaulted the woman for several minutes before she escaped and grabbed a heavy piece of decoration in self-defense. Watson then “stormed out of Jane Doe’s apartment,” the complaint states.

The NFL declined to comment. A Browns spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Watson, 28, served an 11-game suspension in 2022 after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions. Two grand juries in Texas declined to bring charges against Watson, but he served his suspension after the NFL and NFL Players Association reached a settlement in his disciplinary matter.

Watson also had to pay a $5 million fine, undergo a mandatory evaluation by behavioral experts and complete their suggested treatment program before he could be reinstated in the league.

The lawsuit filed Monday is unrelated to the only civil suit filed by the women who accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. However, the same attorney, Tony Buzbee, is representing the latest woman suing Watson.

Watson reached settlements in 23 of the 24 civil lawsuits filed against him in the summer of 2022.

In March 2022, the Browns traded six draft picks, including three first-round picks, for Watson, giving him a fully guaranteed $230 million deal, which was an NFL record at the time.

Due to suspensions and injuries, Watson has played just 13 games for Cleveland, including a 33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday – his first game since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery last November. Watson completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss.

ESPN’s John Barr contributed to this report.