Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is coming off a brutal performance in a blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
But that is the least of his worries right now.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Watson was sued in a Houston court room on Monday for allegations of sexual assault and battery. The alleged incident is from October of 2020 when Watson was a member of the Houston Texans.
“Watson grabbed Jane Doe’s leg and positioned her so that she was lying down. Watson then partially disrobed Jane Doe and penetrated her vagina without consent, implicit or explicit. Jane Doe felt paralyzed, unsure if she should risk her safety by trying to stop Watson or endure his assault. Watson roughly sexually assaulted Jane Doe for several minutes in a ‘missionary position’ before grabbing her and flipping her over,” the lawsuit claims.
“Watson continued to assault Doe aggressively from behind. Jane Doe finally gathered the courage and strength to escape Watson. Jane Doe quickly ran to her dresser to grab a heavy piece of décor for self-defense, and yelled at Watson [to] get out of her apartment. Enraged, Watson stormed out of Jane Doe’s apartment.”
This comes on the heels of Watson settling out of court with north of 20 women who alleged that he commited sexual assault. It led to Watson being suspended for 10 games during the 2022 NFL season under the guise of the league’s personal conduct policy. He was never charged criminally.
These latest allegations add another layer to the off-field issues that have surrounded Watson over the years. It certainly is a black eye for the former Pro Bowl quarterback and his team.
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It’s not yet known whether the NFL will take more action against Watson following these latest allegations. In a vacuum, they are different than what he was suspended for back in 2022. It would not be a surprise if the NFL conducted an investigation into the matter.
Watson, 28, has played in just 13 games since the Browns acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Texans ahead of the 2022 season. He’s playing under a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.
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