24th Plaintiff alleges “graphic encounter” in civil suit against Deshaun Watson

*The following article contains graphic details of a sexual nature*

24th plaintiff alleges ‘graphic encounter with Deshaun Watson

According to reports on Monday, the 24th civil lawsuit against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was officially filed and more over alleged a graphic encounter during a massage in August of 2020. As per the details of the suit a woman who resides in Houston alleges that Watson received massages in her apartment on August 5th and 9th. According to her statement, the first session with Watson ended prematurely after he received a phone call and subsequently left shortly after. She then went on to explain that during the second session Watson began to behave in a sexually inappropriate manner after becoming erect and proceeding to masturbate in front of her.

The suit reads as follow:

“Plaintiff immediately stopped the massage. Apparently responding to look of shock on Plaintiff’s face, Watson said to Plaintiff, ‘Relax. It is ok to touch it.’ Plaintiff refused Watson’s entreaties. Watson then stood up and continued masturbating more aggressively. As he did so, Watson asked the Plaintiff ‘Where do you want me to put it?’ Plaintiff by this point was in complete shock and could not speak. She froze. Watson quickly ejaculated; some of his ejaculate got on Plaintiff’s chest and face. Plaintiff immediately left the room, and ran into the bathroom to clean Watson’s ejaculate off of her. Watson offered no apology or explanation for this conduct. He instead got dressed, paid Plaintiff $150 via Cash App and left. ...Defendant Deshaun Watson has a disturbing pattern of conduct,” the suit claims. “Each of the cases against him is strikingly similar, evidencing a habit or custom: Watson seeks out random strangers on Instagram, as he has done more than a hundred times. The interaction typically begins with a direct message from Watson. He asks only if they will perform a massage; he doesn’t ask about references, licensure, training, skill set, or competence level. In some cases, massage is not even the woman’s specialty, and after being told that, Watson still insists on a massage.”

The War of Attorneys: Watson’s Hardin vs the Plaintiffs’ Buzbee

If one thing has become clear as Watson’s case has developed, it’s that the attorneys on either side of the legal divide have most definitely got their knives out. Rusty Hardin - Deshaun Watson’s attorney - was not available for comment, but he has had no shortage of things to say in recent days even bizarrely claiming that ‘happy endings are not illegal’ a few days ago. It was a statement that he later tried to walk back after intense scrutiny on social media. Incidentally, Hardin has repeatedly accused Tony Buzbee - the representative of the 24 plaintiffs - of trying to raise his profile by using the media attention on the case. Hardin has also state that the plaintiffs involved are only interested in a “money grab.” Needless to say there has been a response from Buzbee who has accused Hardin’s team of victim blaming as well as coercion and bullying. Additionally Buzbee also disclosed details of attempted settlements offered by Watson and his legal team.

A key take away from the 24th suit against Deshaun Watson

One of the critical parts of the suit is a section which alleges that Watson had attempted to solicit massages from individuals he did not know “more than a hundred times” through social media. “Watson’s lawyer claims that ‘happy endings’ are common in massage therapy and, short of paying extra cash for it, such conduct is not a crime,” the suit states. “Watson’s lawyer goes on to say that making a massage therapist ‘uncomfortable’ due to the type of conduct described herein is not a crime. The public comments made by Watson’s defense team evidence a belief system that explains Watson’s conduct: when Watson contacts a random massage therapist on Instagram for a massage, unbeknownst to the therapist, Watson is wanting more than a massage — his ‘thing’ is using his celebrity to make a massage session into something more. The women do not learn about Watson’s proclivities until it is too late.”

What is critical here is the correlation that Buzbee draws between Watson’s alleged inappropriate sexual behavior and a pattern of contacting individuals online, thereby allowing him to construct the narrative that Watson’s ‘MO’ is to make contact with unknown people to solicit encounters that he expected to be sexual and more importantly, that he did so under the assumption that he was not engaging in any inappropriate behavior because his actions were not illegal.

Tony Buzbee praises the 24 plaintiffs

On Monday Buzbee released a statement in which he paid tribute to the women who have come forward with allegations. “Today we filed the twenty-fourth case alleging sexual misconduct against Deshaun Watson,” Buzbee said. “The allegations made in this new case are strikingly similar to those made by many of the other victims. Lost in the media frenzy surrounding Deshaun Watson is that these are twenty-four strong, courageous women who, despite ridicule, legal shenanigans, and intense media scrutiny, continue to stand firm for what is right. Setting aside the legal wrangling, the complicity of the NFL, or the failures of the criminal justice system, the resounding story that should be told here is that these women are true heroes. I will say again, our entire team is incredibly proud to represent these women, and we look forward to the day when we can lay out their cases in detail in front of a jury.”