The Cleveland Browns acquisition of QB Deshaun Watson this offseason was met with a wide variety of responses. The civil lawsuits and the details within are highly concerning while some focused primarily on his talent on the field.
Since he was cleared of criminal charges, and multiple teams attempted to acquire him, very little new information had come out regarding the legal side of things. The NFL seemed ready to close their investigation and with punishment decided shortly after.
Then, two more lawsuits were filed providing graphic details and concerning allegations regarding Watson and a spa owner.
Tuesday, the New York Times published an investigative piece into the Watson case with even more details. While it is important to note that the Times investigation is not completed by law enforcement and does not need to hold up to a court’s burden of proof, the details and evidence present even more problematic concerns.
The full article provides context but here are a few of the new pieces on information that the piece found:
- Watson used 66 different masseuses during a 17-month span from 2019 to 2021
- The Houston Texans secured Watson a membership to the Houstonian hotel and provided him with a Non-Disclosure Agreement to have the women sign
- Watson bought 30 bottles of $40 skin cleanser which “left a woman perplexed”
- As noted in one of the recent lawsuits, Watson paid a spa owner, who connected him to multiple non-licensed women for massages, $5,000 which she claims was to buy spa equipment
The piece also talks about Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, and his communication with the prosecutor during the criminal cases which was presented as more often than normal.
Watson has continually professed his innocence in these cases. It is unclear how the two newest allegations or the information in the New York Times report could impact the NFL’s investigation and whether the Browns were aware of all of the facts in the case before acquiring Watson.