HOUSTON — The final two of nearly 30 civil lawsuits that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had faced from women accusing him of sexual misconduct have been dismissed, according to court records.
The dismissal of these two lawsuits clears Watson of legal problems he had been facing since 2021 after 27 women came forward and accused him in court filings in Texas of exposing himself, touching them with his genitals or kissing them against their will, mostly during massage appointments.
Some of the women alleged Watson, 30, forced them to perform oral sex and one woman accused him of sexually assaulting her.
The dismissals come as both lawsuits had been set to go to trial in the next few weeks. The accusations against Watson were made when he played for the Houston Texans.
It is believed that Watson has no other lawsuits pending in connection with the sexual misconduct allegations.
One of the lawsuits that was dismissed on Friday has been settled, said Tony Buzbee, the attorney for the woman who had filed it. Buzbee declined to comment further, citing confidentiality of the settlement agreement. Buzbee's client alleged Watson touched her with his penis multiple times during a massage session.
It was not immediately known if the other dismissed lawsuit had also been settled. Anissah Nguyen, an attorney for the woman who filed the lawsuit, didn’t immediately respond to an email or call seeking comment. Nguyen's client had accused Watson of pressuring her to perform oral sex during a massage.
Watson’s attorneys declined to comment.
Watson, who was traded to the Browns in March 2022, has long denied any wrongdoing, and two separate Texas grand juries declined to indict him. One of his attorneys, Rusty Hardin, had previously said the allegations against Watson were "meritless."
“I don’t remember or recall any sexual encounters with her,” Watson said in a 2023 deposition he gave while being questioned about the woman represented by Nguyen.
The woman represented by Nguyen had also sued the Houston Texans, alleging Watson had assaulted women with the help and resources of the team. The lawsuit against the Texans was also dismissed last week.
A spokesperson for the Texans didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
In July 2022, 30 women who had accused the Texans of turning a blind eye to allegations against their former star quarterback settled their legal claims against the team.
It was not unusual that all the cases against Watson were settled, said David Ring, a California-based attorney who is not connected to the lawsuits and who has represented victims of sexual assault. He said the majority of civil lawsuits are typically resolved before going to trial and that high-profile defendants typically don’t want cases to play out in a public courtroom.
“He’s trying to put all of this behind him,” Ring said.
Watson’s legal problems began after dozens of women claimed to have been the victims of sexual misconduct or assault between 2017 and 2020.
Most of the lawsuits against Watson were settled in 2022.
Following the allegations, Watson was suspended for the first 11 games in 2022 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Watson was also fined $5 million and underwent a mandatory evaluation before being reinstated by the league. He has played in only 19 games for the Browns due to the NFL suspension and injuries.
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