CLEVELAND — A lawsuit filed last month accusing Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault has been resolved, the attorney representing the plaintiff in the case confirmed to 3News.
"We have now resolved our client's claim with Deshaun Watson," Tony Buzbee said in a statement. "The settlement is confidential."
The result marks a relatively quick end to the latest claim against Watson, who has already faced more than two dozen allegations of sexual misconduct. While the 29-year-old has not been criminally charged in any of the cases, he did receive an 11-game suspension from the NFL at the start of the 2022 season, his first with Cleveland.
The latest filing became public on Sept. 9 and detailed a reported incident that occurred in October of 2020, when Watson was still a member of the Houston Texans. Among various claims, the woman said Watson came into her apartment for a planned date and demanded she massage him. When she acquiesced, she said he then exposed himself to her before he "partially disrobed" her and "penetrated her ... without consent." The plaintiff alleged this went on "for several minutes" before she escaped and yelled at Watson to leave, which he did.
Watson's lawyer Rusty Hardin wrote that his client "strongly denies the allegations" and would "focus his energy and concentration on football." Speaking with the media on Sept. 11, Watson echoed Hardin's statement, and claimed he only found out about the allegation "when everyone else found out."
In response, Buzbee claimed he had been negotiating a possible settlement with Watson's team for 10 months prior to the court filing, and he further told Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio he had "video to share that will be pertinent" to the case. The NFL confirmed it was investigating the matter to see if Watson violated its personal conduct policy, but it is unknown if Buzbee has met with the league, as he stated he would.
Since 2021, Watson has faced a total of 27 lawsuits from women claiming he sexually assaulted or harassed them during massages. Settlements have now been reached in 24 of those cases, while another was dropped. Two more remain pending, including the only one where the plaintiff is not represented by Buzbee.
The latest updates surrounding Watson off the field come as his play on it continues to be scrutinized. Five games into the 2024 season, he ranks statistically as one of the NFL's worst QBs, and the Browns' record sits at 1-4. The team gave him a record $230 million contract upon trading for him two years ago, even as allegations swirled around him.
"We will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL's guidelines on this matter," the Browns told The Associated Press after the most recent lawsuit came to light.
