New lawsuit filed against Deshaun Watson

HOUSTON (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has learned yet another woman has filed a civil lawsuit against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson claiming he pressured her into a sex act when she met him to give him a massage.

This suit was filed in Harris County District Court Thursday and relates to an encounter in December 2020.

It is not part of the two dozen other lawsuits filed in Houston by women accusing Watson of sexual misconduct when they met him for massages.

Watson settled 23 of those 24 lawsuits.

Those civil actions led the NFL to punish Watson for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Watson is serving a suspension of 11 games.

One lawyer, Tony Buzbee, had filed the first 24 lawsuits.

But, this new one was filed by two other lawyers. The I-Team reached out to them for comment.

Attorney Anissah Nguyen says the accuser in the new lawsuit, “has been struggling with everything. It’s taken her some time to come forward. She’s doing it for herself and other women who have been victimized by Deshaun Watson.”

“She knows that by speaking out she is going to have to deal with the hard conversations,” Nguyen added.

She is looking for a “just and expeditious” resolution to the case.

We also contacted Rusty Hardin, the lawyer who’d represented Watson in those earlier cases. He said he was unaware of the new filing.

The I-Team reached out to the Browns but has not yet heard back.

The NFL responded Friday saying, “Watson’s status remains unchanged.  We will monitor developments in the newly-filed litigation; and any conduct that warrants further investigation or possible additional sanctions would be addressed within the Personal Conduct Policy.”