22nd lawsuit filed against Houston Texas QB Deshaun Watson
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 03: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans in action against the Tennessee Titans during a game at NRG Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
HOUSTON - Another civil lawsuit has been filed against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, bringing the total number of lawsuits filed against him to 22.
In the lawsuit filed in Harris County, the woman, identified as a Jane Doe, accuses Watson of assaulting and harassing her during a massage session last year.
The following content contains graphic details that may be disturbing for some readers. Discretion is advised.
According to the lawsuit, the woman is a licensed esthetician from Houston who owns her own company offering skincare and other therapy services.
Watson reportedly sought a massage from her in November 2020, according to the lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, the woman accuses Watson of "touching her with his penis and exposing himself."
RELATED: 2 more lawsuits filed against Deshaun Watson bring total to 21
Twenty-one other lawsuits have been filed in the last three weeks in which women from Houston and other states accuse Watson of assaulting and harassing them during massage sessions.
EXPLICIT: READ THE LAWSUITS BELOW
Lawsuit 1 | Lawsuit 2 | Lawsuit 3 | Lawsuit 4 | Lawsuit 5 | Lawsuit 6 | Lawsuit 7 | Lawsuit 8 | Lawsuit 9 | Lawsuit 10 | Lawsuit 11 | Lawsuit 12 | Lawsuit 13 | Lawsuit 14 | Lawsuit 15 | Lawsuit 16 | Lawsuit 17 | Lawsuit 18 | Lawsuit 19 | Lawsuit 20 | Lawsuit 21 | Lawsuit 22
All of the women are identified as Jane Does in their respective civil lawsuits. They are each seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as court costs.
On Friday, the Houston Police Department said a criminal complaint had been filed with their department concerning Watson. They did not provide further details.
"As with any allegation, the Houston Police Department is now conducting an investigation and will not comment further during the investigative process," HPD said in a statement.
RELATED: Criminal complaint filed against Texans QB Deshaun Watson, Houston police say
High-profile Houston attorney Tony Buzbee is representing all of the women accusing Watson. In a statement on Friday, Buzbee confirmed that a complaint was filed with HPD, but he said he was not personally involved in the process.
Buzbee’s full statement reads:
"Now that HPD has confirmed such via Twitter, I will also confirm that a complaint was filed with HPD this morning regarding Deshaun Watson. I was not personally involved in the process, as I previously indicated I would not be. I can confirm, from the reports that I’ve received, that HPD personnel were extremely professional, thorough, and compassionate.
I will also confirm that other criminal complaints will follow, as previously indicated, in Houston and in other jurisdictions and with other agencies. I will let the authorities do their jobs, and will continue to do mine, on behalf of these courageous women.
I would remind everyone following this story that what is in play here is more than the future record of a football team, or a star quarterback. I would remind the so-called "talking heads" who do nothing but talk for a living that the issues raised here are extremely serious, involving serious misconduct against women. Too many times the so-called "experts" and "pundits" forget that we are not only dealing with the future of a star quarterback, we are dealing with the physical health, mental health, safety, and well-being of courageous people who had the fortitude to step forward, although powerless, against the powerful. It takes great strength to do what these women are doing. I will continue to devote my attention and efforts to them and could give a damn about those detractors whose first reaction is to attack these women, or me.
I can also confirm that we filed case number 22 today; the allegations therein are similar to the others that are now public record."
RELATED: Buzbee says he’ll take evidence ‘elsewhere’ than HPD; Deshaun Watson’s attorney responds
Rusty Hardin, the attorney representing Watson, also released a statement on Friday saying, "We welcome this long overdue development. Now we will learn the identity of at least one accuser. We will fully cooperate with the Houston Police Department."
The NFL said, "We are continuing to monitor all developments in the matter which remains under review of the Personal Conduct Policy."