Two women who anonymously filed lawsuits against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson accusing him of sexual misconduct publicly named themselves on Tuesday.
Ashley Solis and Lauren Baxley said the superstar QB touched them inappropriately during massage sessions, leaving them traumatized from the experience.
They’re the first two of 22 clients of Houston attorney Anthony Buzbee to shed their Jane Doe alias in civil actions filed against the Texans star. In his only public statement on the allegations, Watson has denied he ever treated women with anything but the “utmost respect.” Watson’s attorney has previously said he never “forced a woman to commit a sexual act.”
“My name is Ashley Solis, remember that name. I hope every woman and man out there who is a survivor hears my story. And I hope my story gives them courage to speak out,” she told reporters in Houston.
“I was afraid. I’m not afraid anymore and I do exist. I’m here to take back the power and take back control.”
While Buzbee and Solis did not specifically link her allegations to any of the previous 22 lawsuits, she said Watson made lewd advances on her at her home office on March 30 of last year.
That seems to match details of a March 16, 2021, lawsuit that details a massage at the plaintiff’s home, where the victim broke down in tears, alleging that Watson exposed himself and touched her hand “with the tip of his erect penis.”
The suit alleges that as the victim was crying, Watson told her: “I know you have a career and a reputation and I know you would hate for someone to mess with yours just like I don’t want anyone messing with mine.”
Baxley addressed Watson in a letter read by Buzbee’s law colleague, Cornelia Brandfield-Harvey.
“Every boundary, from professional and therapeutic to sexual and degrading, you crossed or attempted to cross,” Brandfield-Harvey read from Baxley’s statement, regarding a June 2 session. “I did not want to touch you but my terror kept me in autopilot.”
Again, Buzbee did not specifically link Baxley to one of the lawsuits against Watson. But in a March 18 civil filing, a Jane Doe described how, on June 2, at a Houston spa, Watson exposed himself “several times” and “moved his body in such a way to make his penis touch plaintiff.”
That June 2 accuser also appears to be the only one of Watson’s accusers who said she had previous experience doing massage therapy for football players and other “high-profile athletes.”
In her statement read on Tuesday, Baxley said in preparation for her session with Watson that she reviewed tapes of quarterback play to understand how to best help a player of that position recover from typical game action or practice.
The Houston Police Department said Friday it was investigating Watson after a formal complaint was made about him.
Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday. But Hardin on Friday said: “Now we will learn the identity of at least one accuser. We will fully cooperate with the Houston Police Department.”
Watson led the NFL is passing yards in 2020 and he’d been the subject of numerous trade rumors this off-season.
It’s not clear how these allegations could either prompt or prevent the Texans from trading their star signal caller.
“The allegations are deeply disturbing and we take these issues very seriously,” NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Immediately following news of the first allegations last month, and as has been reported, we initiated an investigation under the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. We are continuing to closely monitor all developments in the matter.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
