Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has settled 20 of 24 sexual misconduct lawsuits filed against him, according to the lawyer representing the women accusing Watson of sexual assault and other inappropriate behavior during massages.
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Attorney for the women,Tony Buzbee said, “We are working through the paperwork related to those settlements. Once we have done so, those particular cases will be dismissed. The terms and amounts of the settlements are confidential. We won’t comment further on the settlements or those cases.”
Watson was first publicly accused of sexual misconduct in March of 2021, with the majority of his accusers being massage therapists. Eight of the women also filed criminal complaints against the former Clemson star, however they were dismissed in March of this year.
After the dismissals, Watson was traded from the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns where he signed a 5-year $230 million – by far the most guaranteed money ever given to an NFL player.
In an investigation by the New York Times, it was discovered that Watson booked massage appointments with at least 66 women over a 17-month period. The Texans were also involved in the interactions, helping provide the venue for some of the appointments as well as giving Watson a nondisclosure agreement that the QB gave to several women threatening to expose his behavior.
Although he did not include much insight on the deals, Buzbee’s statement did credit Ashley Solis as instrumental to working toward the settlements for the women. Solis was one of the first women to accuse Watson and filed the initial lawsuit against him, she is also one of the four women who have not yet settled.
“Without Ashley Solis, the conduct experienced by these women would likely have continued unfettered,” Buzbee wrote in his statement.
Following the settlement announcement, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said: “Today’s development has no impact on the collectively bargained disciplinary process.”
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Source: https://www.axios.com/2022/06/21/deshaun-watson-sexual-misconduct-suits-setteled
