Deshaun Watson Insists ‘I Never Assaulted Any Woman’

The N.F.L. Deshaun Watson, the quarterback of N.F.L., demolished Friday’s most direct and forceful denunciation of the accusations of sexual misconduct levelled against him by more than two dozen women.

The former Houston Texans quarterback, speaking at a news conference held by his new team, the Cleveland Browns, said, “I have never assaulted any woman. I have never disrespected any woman.”

Last week, the Browns traded for the 26 year-old quarterback. They sent the Texans a package which included three first-round picks. Watson received a fully guaranteed contract worth $230 million. This contract set a new N.F.L. record. Record for guaranteed money.

Watson was the first to be addressed by the team. In civil lawsuits, 22 women allege that Watson engaged in sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Watson exposed his genitals, touched them with his genitals, and in some cases forced oral sex. This month, 10 criminal charges against Watson were rejected by Texas grand juries.

Watson declined to comment on the details of the allegations, citing civil cases. However, he stated that the 24 civil and criminal complaints were false. He added that it’s “not my intent” to settle the civil lawsuits against him.

“I have never done the things that these people are alleging, and I am going to continue to fight for my name and clear my name,” Watson said.

Andrew Berry, the Browns general manager, said the team had embarked on a “five-month odyssey” to become comfortable pursuing a trade for Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback, but he confirmed that the process did not include speaking to any of the women who have sued Watson.

He said lawyers consulted by the team advised that reaching out “could be considered interfering with a criminal investigation.” By the time the Browns traded for Watson, though, a grand jury in Harris County, Texas, had already rejected the nine cases in their jurisdiction and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said the criminal proceedings in that county were closed. Additionally, N.F.L. Investigators have conducted interviews with at most 10 plaintiffs.

Berry said the team used “independent investigative resources” in the Houston “law enforcement community” to get a “comprehensive and holistic perspective” on the claims against Watson. Berry didn’t answer a reporter when asked if investigators had spoken to any of those women who filed complaints.

Tony Buzbee, a lawyer representing the 22 plaintiffs has stated that no one is affiliated with the Browns nor any N.F.L. The Browns or any N.F.L. team reached out to him. Sports Illustrated was also informed by a lawyer for another woman that Watson behaved inappropriately at a 2019 massage appointment.

The Houston Police Department did not discuss its investigation into Watson. On Friday afternoon, a spokesperson said that he could not comment whether the Browns had contacted the agency. In search warrants that were part of the police investigation into Watson, one of the officers who worked on the case for nearly a year described the women who filed criminal complaints as “credible and reliable.”

More than 40 women claim that they provided massage therapy to Watson between 2019 and March 2021 when the first lawsuits began. Watson suggested that Watson was able to access them via social media. However, he declined to provide more details. He said that he, his agents and the Browns will “find a plan” for how he finds massage therapists in the future.

Watson said he will have to earn trust in the Cleveland community and that “there is a stain that is probably going to stick with me for a while.” He bristled when a reporter asked if he would seek counseling, saying, “I don’t have a problem. I don’t have an issue, and that’s what I have been saying from the beginning.”

Berry was asked if Watson had ever committed any wrongdoing by the Browns organization. In response, he expressed the team’s confidence in Watson and the positive impact he will make in Cleveland. The news conference was wrapped up by a team public relations officer, who requested a photo. Watson, who was holding a No. He now wears the No. 4 jersey for the team he represents.