Three massage therapists accused star NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct in lawsuits filed this week in Texas, including one woman who alleged she was forced to perform oral sex.
All three plaintiffs, who filed as Jane Doe, said they are independent contractors who were surprised to be contacted via Instagram by one of pro football’s most well-known players but nonetheless booked appointments.
“Watson’s behavior is part of a disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable women,” according to two of the lawsuits, which were all filed by Houston attorney Anthony Buzbee.
One of the allegations against the Houston Texans quarterback stems from an incident this past Dec. 28 when the therapist gave Watson a massage in a Houston office building, according to the complaint.
Watson repeatedly told her “to move her hands down to his pubic area,” the civil suit said.
“Plaintiff felt intimidated and threatened. She was afraid of what someone like Watson could do if she did not submit to his demands,” the lawsuit said. “Watson kept coercing and intimidating plaintiff and it was at this point that Watson coerced plaintiff to move her mouth toward his penis, forcing plaintiff to perform oral sex on him.”
Buzbee added: “Plaintiff wishes she could have been more courageous and would have ended the massage. But she felt helpless in the moment. Plaintiff was under Watson’s control.”
The other two accusers said Watson exposed himself in massage sessions on March 30 and Aug. 28 of last year, also in Houston.
In the Aug. 28 incident, Watson allegedly flew the Atlanta-based therapist to Texas for a session at the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa.
At one point of the massage, Watson “flipped over on his back, with his penis completely exposed” and then refused to cover himself with a towel, prompting her to prematurely end the massage and take an Uber to the airport, according to the lawsuit.
The March 30 session was at the plaintiff’s home and she broke down in tears after Watson allegedly exposed himself and touched her hand “with the tip of his erect penis.”
As she was crying, Watson allegedly 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.”
After the first lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, Watson said in a statement that he was being wrongly targeted by a “”publicity-seeking” attorney.
“I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect,” Watson continued. “The plaintiff’s lawyer claims that this isn’t about money, but before filing suit he made a baseless six-figure settlement demand, which I quickly rejected. Unlike him, this isn’t about money for me – it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that.”
In a statement on Thursday, the Houston Texans said they want to learn more about the allegations.
“We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously,” according to a team statement. “We will await further information before making any additional statements on this incident.“
Watson has played four seasons for the Houston Texans, but has demanded to be traded. His future has been a point of non-stop speculation since the end of 2020, a campaign in which Watson threw for a league-high 4,823 yards.
Harris County sheriff’s deputies have not received a sexual assault complaint against Watson, a department spokeswoman said Thursday.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office could not be immediately reached for comment.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
