Deshaun Watson and his legal team now know the identities of all 22 women who have filed sexual assault lawsuits against the star quarterback, and Watson continues to vehemently deny the allegations.
In a new court filing on Monday, Watson’s legal team provided responses to many of the specific allegations made by the plaintiffs in the lawsuits. The filing states that many of the masseuses bragged about working with Watson and praised him, despite saying in their suits that the 25-year-old sexually assaulted them and was unprofessional. Watson’s lawyers say some of the plaintiffs continued to work with Watson after their alleged incidents and that some of them lied about the number of times they met with him.
Watson is also requesting a trial by jury. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media shared some of the important pieces of the legal filing:
While some of the reported victims voluntarily came forward and revealed their identities, others were ordered by a judge to refile their suits with their names attached. One woman dropped her lawsuit due to security and privacy concerns.
The Houston Texans have begun to distance themselves from Watson, who has been their quarterback since 2017. Watson demanded a trade from the team prior to becoming the subject of numerous lawsuits. He could be facing a suspension from the NFL regardless of the outcome of the cases.
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