Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson says he was surprised by sexual assault lawsuit

BEREA, Ohio – Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said he was surprised by the recent civil lawsuit filed by a woman who claims he sexually abused her four years ago.

The woman filed the lawsuit in Texas on Monday, claiming Watson forced himself on her during a dinner at her Houston apartment in 2020. She is seeking more than $1 million in damages.

During his weekly media appearance, Watson, who will play against Jacksonville this week, said he was unaware of the allegations before Monday.

“I found out just when everyone else found out,” Watson said.

Previously, Watson's attorney Rusty Hardin released a statement saying the quarterback “strongly denies” the allegations in the lawsuit.

The league is reviewing the lawsuit to determine whether Watson violated the league's code of conduct. Watson was suspended for 11 games and fined $5 million in 2022 after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct.

“Deshaun vigorously denies the allegations in the Jane Doe lawsuit filed Monday,” Hardin said in a statement released by the team. “We have asked him not to comment further while this matter is being litigated, but we are confident that he will ultimately prevail.”

“We will be prepared to defend this case in court in due course, but we do not intend to hold our defense in the media. We ask people to be patient while the legal process takes its course.”

“In the meantime, Deshaun will focus his energy and concentration on football.”

Watson said Hardin's statement expressed “exactly what I feel and what concerns us in this process.”

Meanwhile, the plaintiff's attorney, Tony Buzbee, countered the statement on Instagram with a message of his own. He said he contacted Hardin ten months ago to find a solution and that Watson was aware of the woman's allegations.

“We knew this case was the most serious and egregious brought against Watson to date, and our client, who is rightly traumatized by these events, wanted to seek a private resolution,” Buzbee said. “We thought this was the best approach given the media storm surrounding the numerous other claims.”

“Unfortunately, Watson's team, or perhaps his lawyers, were unable or unwilling to give this case the attention it deserves. … Watson was aware of this victim and his claims immediately after the incident, and Watson was reminded of this again when we filed the first lawsuit on behalf of the other victims.”

Buzbee said he has since been contacted by Hardin and his team. Buzbee added that he has heard from NFL legal counsel.

Watson, who settled 23 of 24 civil suits before being suspended in 2022, said he had not given any thought to possible punishment from the league.

“My focus is understanding Jacksonville's defensive scheme and focusing on my skills to be the best quarterback I can be for this team on Sunday,” he said. “That's something the NFL has to do in their free time and I have to focus on what's in front of me now.”

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he was not considering benching the quarterback in light of the allegations.

“We will follow the orderly process and follow the NFL guidelines,” Stefanski said. “We are 100% focused on Jacksonville,”

Watson, 28, played poorly in Cleveland's season opener, his first game since undergoing shoulder surgery in November.

Watson has started just 13 times for the Browns since they signed him for $230 million in 2022 after trading three first-round draft picks to the Texans.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl