Deshaun Watson is facing sexual assault allegations from nearly two dozen women, many of whom filed civil lawsuits and criminal complaints against the Houston Texans star. While Watson has maintained his innocence, there is now proof of him making a settlement offer to at least one of the women.
Marlow Stern of the Daily Beast obtained a copy of a settlement offer that one of the women says she received from the three-time Pro Bowler. In the documents, Watson allegedly offers the woman $100,000 to “buy peace.” The proposed agreement states that the alleged victim would have to dismiss her civil lawsuit against Watson and adhere to a strict confidentiality agreement.
The settlement proposal states that neither Watson nor the woman would be permitted to “speak, write, or otherwise communicate publicly or privately, including in any interviews, social media posts, blog posts, articles or any other media or forum, on the terms of this Agreement, and the amount of the settlement.”
The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, says she refused to sign.
Watson allegedly has made similar settlement offers to several other women, according to the Daily Beast. The women have been offered sums in the range of five and six figures.
Tony Buzbee, the attorney who represents the 22 women who have filed lawsuits against Watson, said during the summer that his legal team is preparing to try each of the alleged victims’ cases in front of a jury. He did not totally rule out settlements, however.
Watson did not play at all for the Texans this season. He was openly seeking a trade before the sexual assault allegations began piling up.
At least one team reportedly tried to acquire Watson at the trade deadline back in November, but the pending civil lawsuits ultimately stood in the way.
The allegations are being reviewed by law enforcement officials. No determination has been made yet on whether Watson will face charges. The NFL is likely waiting for the legal process to play out before making a decision about potential disciplinary action.
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