A lawsuit filed on Monday in Houston, Texas, alleges that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson committed sexual assault and battery while on a date in Oct. 2020.
The new civil suit claims Watson exposed himself, requested a massage and sexually assaulted the victim before she was able to resist and get him to leave her apartment.
Watson, who at the time was on the Houston Texans, violated sections of the Texas state penal code for indecent exposure and assault, per the suit, and the plaintiff seeks damages of more than $1,000,000.
A league spokesperson declined to comment on Monday.
In Aug. 2022, the NFL suspended Watson for 11 games and fined him $5 million for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy after more than 20 women alleged that Watson committed sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions.
Watson reached confidential settlements with 23 of the 24 women in 2022. He has previously denied any wrongdoing and maintained that any sex with the women was consensual. Two grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson in 2022 on criminal complaints filed by 10 women.
Watson was required by the NFL to commit to mandatory evaluation and treatment as part of his reinstatement.
The Browns traded multiple draft picks — including three first-round selections — to Houston for Watson in March 2022 and also signed the quarterback to a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract.
Watson has appeared in 13 games for the Browns and has struggled to make an impact in Cleveland due to injuries and subpar play.
