Another woman has accused Deshaun Watson of sexual assault in a new lawsuit

A woman in Texas filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexually harassing her during a date in October 2020 at her apartment.

The woman is represented by attorney Tony Buzbee, who previously represented 24 other women who sued Watson for sexual harassment or assault during massage appointments while he was playing in Houston. Watson denied the previous allegations.

In 2022, after joining the Browns, Watson settled 23 of the lawsuits with other players and was suspended for 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the NFL's rules of conduct.

According to the latest civil lawsuit, the woman, identified as “Jane Doe,” said she met Watson at a bar when he played for the Houston Texans. She said she and the quarterback exchanged text messages for several months.

She claimed Watson came to the woman's apartment for dinner in October 2020. At that point, the woman said, Watson took off his clothes, lay naked on her bed and “aggressively insisted that she massage him,” the lawsuit states.

According to court documents, the woman rubbed his back, but then Watson grabbed her and sexually assaulted her.

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Eventually, the lawsuit says, she was able to free herself, ran to her dresser and grabbed a “heavy piece of decoration” in self-defense while yelling at Watson to leave her apartment.

The lawsuit states that the woman did not immediately report the incident because Watson was the Texans' quarterback and a “local celebrity” at the time and she was worried about how she would be treated.

Watson maintained his innocence at the time and two different grand juries in Texas declined to indict him.

“I have always maintained my innocence and always said that I never attacked or disrespected anyone,” Watson said in August 2022.

According to the latest lawsuit, the plaintiff suffers from panic attacks, nervous breakdowns, depression and anxiety as a result of the incidents with Watson.

She is demanding at least one million dollars in damages.

In a statement, Buzbee said the lawsuit speaks for itself, but “we intend to pursue this case with the same aggressiveness as the others,” adding that he wants a jury trial in Texas.

Scripps News Cleveland has attempted to reach both the Cleveland Browns and Watson's attorneys for comment on the latest allegations, but neither has responded.

As of 2024, Watson will be the second-highest-paid player in the league with a current contract worth $230 million.

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This story was originally published by Scott Noll at Scripps News Cleveland.