Deshaun Watson sued for sexual assault: Will he go to trial?
The Cleveland Browns quarterback was accused of sexual assault that allegedly took place in October 2020, when he was still a member of the Houston Texans.
Deshaun Watson received a suspension for 11 games of the 2022 NFL season and paid a $5 million fine after being hit with 24 civil sexual harassment lawsuits in 2021. Now, the Cleveland Browns quarterback will face a new lawsuit for sexual assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The plaintiff, who uses the pseudonym “Jane Doe” in the legal document, says the assault took place in her apartment in October 2020, when the quarterback was still a player for the Houston Texans.
According to the documents, she and Watson met at a restaurant in the Texas city and when the QB got her number he tried to arrange a date at a public location. However, the woman reportedly did not want to be seen in public with the player, and they eventually agreed to have dinner at her residence.
Deshaun Watson sued for sexual assault: Will he go to trial?
According to the lawsuit, before Watson arrived at the woman’s home, he called and shouted at her on the phone because it was difficult to find the location. When he arrived, the suit states that the plaintiff was getting ready in the bathroom, and when she went to her bedroom, Watson was there, “completely naked on her bed.”
Soon after, Watson allegedly “disrobed Jane Doe and penetrated her vagina without consent, implicit or explicit.” After being sexually assaulted, the woman broke free from the player, and grabbed a heavy object to protect herself, per the lawsuit.
“We intend to pursue this case with the same aggressiveness with which we pursued the others. We want a jury trial,” according to the woman’s lawyer, who also handled the previous sexual assault cases against Watson.
Criminal charges were not brought up against Watson in 2021, and the following year, he reached settlements in 23 of the 24 civil lawsuits.
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How many games has Deshaun Watson played with the Cleveland Browns?
Watson left Houston in 2022 via a trade with the Cleveland Browns. The AFC North team guaranteed him a $230 million contract, but he has played in just 13 games so far in the brown and orange uniform. In that span, he has racked up eight wins and five losses, completing 59.1 percent of his throws for 2,386 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.