With training camp set to begin, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson would love nothing more than to return to the field as he prepares for the upcoming NFL season. But with the disturbing number of sexual assault accusations that were levied against him in March still unresolved, not only is his season in potential jeopardy, but this entire ordeal is about to get even uglier.
ESPN reports that of the 22 women who have alleged in lawsuits that the three-time Pro Bowler either sexually assaulted them or engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior with them during private massage sessions, eight of them have filed reports with the Houston police. According to Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, two additional women who have not filed previous lawsuits against Watson have filed complaints with the police as well, bringing the grand total of police complaints to 10.
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“There are 10 women that have made complaints to the [Houston] police,” Hardin told ESPN. “There are a couple of women who we don’t know anything about. We’re fully cooperating with the police. We’re fully cooperating with the district attorney’s office and, when the criminal investigation is over, we’ll fully cooperate with the NFL.”
Watson has yet to be interviewed by NFL investigators, and Hardin maintains that this is typical of criminal proceedings.
In January, Watson’s contentious relationship with the Texans came to a head when he demanded a trade. In order to retain their franchise cornerstone, Houston refused to grant his request, only for their relationship to become further strained—and infinitely more complicated—after Watson was flooded with sexual assault allegations in March. Houston police have declined to comment on the accusations, as well as their ongoing investigation into them, but Hardin maintains that if a settlement is reached with the accusers it will not include a confidentiality agreement.
Source: Amid Ongoing Sexual Assault Lawsuits, 10 Women File Police Complaints Against Deshaun Watson
