Deshaun Watson denies sexually harassing a Texas woman who accused her of assault while he played for the Houston Texans

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

“I wasn't thinking about it. I was focused on Jacksonville's defensive scheme and being the best quarterback I can be for this team on Sunday. You know, 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,” Watson said, adding that he figured it out “right when everybody else figured it out.”

The lawsuit alleges that it all happened in October 2020 when Watson and the woman were going on a date. When he arrived at her home, he stripped naked on her bed and demanded that she give him a massage while she was still getting ready. The lawsuit goes on to say that Watson became dissatisfied and then sexually assaulted her before she was able to escape. According to the lawsuit, she grabbed a heavy piece of decor in self-defense and yelled at him to get out of her apartment.

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 attempt a private resolution,” Buzbee said. “We thought this would be the best approach given the media storm that arose around the numerous other claims. Unfortunately, Watson's team, or perhaps his attorneys, were unable or unwilling to give this case the attention it deserved. … Watson was aware of this victim and her claims immediately after the incident, and Watson was reminded of this again when we filed the initial lawsuit for 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.

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

“We are following the proper process and following 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.

RELATED: NFL investigates recent sexual assault lawsuit against Deshaun Watson

The Associated Press contributed to this article.