Tony Buzbee says 20th lawsuit has been filed against Deshaun Watson

Watson’s first reported victim came forward on March 17, and he immediately denied the allegations. The morning after his denial, Buzbee quickly brought forward additional allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Watson. While the 25-year-old quarterback has remained quiet publicly since, the legal drama between the two sides is quickly unfolding.

Latest news on allegations against Watson

Watson recently hired attorney Rusty Hardin, who has a history of representing star athletes facing a variety of allegations. Hardin defended Warren Moon in 1996 as he dealt with allegations of domestic abuse. He also represented Adrian Peterson in 2014, following his arrest for hitting his child with a tree switch.

Over the past two weeks, the number of allegations against Watson has rapidly increased. While there are some differences in each lawsuit regarding how far Watson allegedly took things with the reported victim, there are also many shared experiences.

Watson is said to have inquired about a massage from many of the women through Instagram, requesting a private session. Several of the allegations also share similar details, like Watson only wearing a small towel around his groin at the start of the massage. One reported victim said in the lawsuit that Watson’s aggressiveness made her “scared for her life.”

Many of the alleged acts of sexual harassment and assault occurred within the past calendar year. One unidentified woman said Watson exposed himself and pressured her during a massage at her private residence in March 2020. Some of the most recent allegations said he committed similar acts during a massage session with another woman in March 2021.

Buzbee recently held a press conference, announcing 22 women reached out to him, and more civil suits would come. He also said the Houston Police Department contacted him for information but walked that back after the HPD denied ever reaching out to him. On Thursday, the HPD said they still have not received any documentation of evidence from the attorney.

On social media, Buzbee has suggested he has convincing evidence that proves Watson’s guilt. He provided alleged screenshots of text messages that show Watson apologizing for his behavior, but the validity of the messages is in question.

Watson’s attorney said one of the women attempted blackmail for $30,000 and believes the allegations against his client are “meritless.”

The NFL is conducting an active investigation into the allegations, planning to speak with all of the parties involved. While the league typically uses the commissioner’s exempt list to sideline players facing criminal charges, there remains a possibility it could decide to place Watson on the exempt list.