Tag: Tony Buzbee

Alvin Kamara reaches confidential settlement in civil suit, submits written apology

Representing the victim in a civil suit, attorney Tony Buzbee shared a written apology from Alvin Kamara and news of a settlement. Now we wait for an NFL suspension:

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Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee shared an announcement on social media that he reached a confidential settlement in a Louisiana civil lawsuit against New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, having represented the victim in a beating at a Las Vegas nightclub in Feb. 2022. As part of their agreement, Kamara submitted a written apology to the victim, Darnell Greene.

The details of this out-of-court settlement remain unclear, but that should wrap things up as far as the law is concerned. Kamara agreed to a plea deal in Nevada court on a misdemeanor charge, avoiding more serious felony charges but paying out more than $100,000 in medical bills. Now that the criminal and civil suits are concluded and the legal process has wrapped up, the NFL will likely take action in handing down a suspension.

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TMZ releases video of alleged Las Vegas altercation involving Alvin Kamara

TMZ releases video of alleged Las Vegas altercation involving Alvin Kamara, but it’s unlikely to lead to a suspension in 2022:

TMZ Sports shared video of an altercation allegedly involving New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara in Las Vegas back in February, in which a group including Kamara is accused of assaulting a man at a hotel. Kamara was infamously arrested by Las Vegas police after the Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium the next day, and he’s currently facing criminal charges in Las Vegas as well as a civil suit in New Orleans seeking $10 million in damages.

The alleged victim, Darnell Green Jr. of Houston, has retained Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee as his representation in the civil suit. Buzbee has risen to prominence by representing dozens of women accusing former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (now with the Cleveland Browns, and who the Saints doggedly pursued this offseason) of sexual misconduct as well as former San Antonio Spurs team psychologist Dr. Hillary Cauthen, who has accused the Spurs of failing to take action after their former 2021 draft pick Josh Primo allegedly exposed himself to her in multiple sessions.

Buzbee unsuccessfully lobbied for the NFL to “take immediate action” in punishing Kamara back in August. While this video is disturbing, it’s unlikely to prompt the NFL to reverse course and issue a suspension at this time. The league office has established a precedent of waiting to hand down discipline until after the legal process has resolved itself, and that should remain the case here. Watson was suspended 11 games for violations of the league personal conduct policy, but that league discipline wasn’t handed down until after he settled the civil lawsuits against him.

Kamara’s case in criminal court has been delayed frequently given the number of defendants (four) and array of attorneys involved, and it’s unlikely to be wrapped up before the 2022 regular season draws to a close. If Kamara does receive a suspension from the NFL, it most likely won’t come into effect until 2023. Still, the league office has made unprecedented moves before, so we’ll keep an eye out.

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Thirty women settle claims against the Houston Texans

Houston-area attorney Tony Buzbee announced that thirty women have settled claims against the Houston Texans.

According to Houston-area attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents the women in the ongoing Deshaun Watson litigation, 30 women who made or planned to make claims against the Houston Texans have settled their claims with the franchise.

Buzbee announced the settlements in a statement released in social media, which read in part: “I will have no further comment on the allegations or the Texans’ alleged role, other than to say there is a marked contrast in the way in which the Texans addressed these allegations, and the way in which Watson’s team has done so.”

The claims followed explosive reporting from The New York Times, which found that the Texans arranged for Watson’s membership to a private club where some of the meetings took place, as well as provided the quarterback with a Non-disclosure Agreement following the meetings.

In recent weeks, Watson has settled a number of the claims against him. Furthermore, the NFL and the NFLPA underwent a three-day hearing before retired District Court Judge Sue L. Robinson, who is expected to release a decision on a potential suspension for Watson in the coming weeks.

Report: 30 women alleging misconduct against Deshaun Watson settle claims with Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have settled claims with 30 women who alleged sexual misconduct against Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson.

The Houston Texans have settled with all of the women who made or intended to make claims against the organization for its alleged role in the reported sexual misconduct of former quarterback Deshaun Watson.

According to KPRC-TV, the Texans have settled with 30 women represented by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee. Terms of the settlements are confidential.

Buzbee released a statement following the announcement of the settlement on Friday:

“I will have no further comment on the allegations or the Texans’ role, other than to say that there is a marked contrast in the way in which the Texans addressed these allegations, and the way in which Watson’s team has done so. As previously reported, only one of the 30 women who made allegations against the Texans filed a formal lawsuit. That particular lawsuit will be dismissed with prejudice as soon as the appropriate settlement paperwork is complete.

“It takes an incredible amount of fortitude for a victim of sexual misconduct to come forward. It is even more difficult when the alleged wrongdoer is famous, rich, and powerful. As I’ve said before, these cases started with one phone call, from one brave and strong woman: Ashley Solis. Because of her willingness to speak out, soon others followed. I admire Ashley Solis and the other woman who were courageous enough to make their voices heard. I hope their bravery serves as an example to others who have been subjected to similar conduct. Every story has a hero – in this story, that hero is Ashley Solis and the other woman who, despite the ridicule, criticism, and vitriol directed at them, endured.

“The four filed cases against Deshaun Watson will continue. We hope to try them all in the spring of next year. In the meantime, we will continue to do the important work to prepare for such.”

A Harris County grand jury declined to indict Watson on criminal charges related to the allegations, as did a Brazoria County grand jury. The complaints against Watson have been ongoing since March 17, 2021, when Buzbee first made comments on social media about the incidents. The civil suits have resulted in complaints to the Houston Police Department, an investigation by the FBI, and an ongoing investigation by the NFL. There were also warrants issued for Watson’s social media accounts.

The Texans traded Watson to the Cleveland Browns in mid-March 2022.

Deshaun Watson accuser names Houston Texans in new lawsuit

The Houston Texans have been named as defendants in a lawsuit related to the Deshaun Watson civil case wherein the QB is accused of sexual assault.

The Houston Texans have been named as defendants in a new lawsuit from a Deshaun Watson accuser.

On Monday, lawyer Tony Buzbee, who has represented all of Watson’s accusers since March 2021, announced his legal team had filed a lawsuit in Harris County district court naming Houston NFL Holdings as defendants in a civil suit related to the sexual assault lawsuits filed against Watson.

“Today we filed the first case of what will likely be many against the Houston Texans related to Deshaun Watson’s behavior,” the statement read via the Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson. “Suffice to say, the overwhelming evidence collected indicating that the Houston Texans enabled Watson’s behavior is incredibly damning. We believe the Texans knew or most certainly should have known of Watson’s conduct. Beyond that, we believe the filing speaks for itself.”

Watson is set to have a disciplinary hearing with the NFL on June 28.

Texans to be named as defendants in Browns QB Deshaun Watson lawsuit

The Houston Texans may soon be added as a defendant in the Deshaun Watson lawsuit according to the plaintiffs’ attorney, Tony Buzbee.

The Houston Texans may have traded Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns prior to the 2022 NFL draft, but they could still be involved in the embroiled quarterback’s legal troubles.

According to a statement via Aaron Wilson from Tony Buzbee, who is representing 24 women suing Watson civilly on sexual assault allegations, the Texans may be added to the lawsuit as defendants.

“Based on what we have learned from the Houston Police Department, we will soon be joining the Houston Texans organization and others as defendants in the ongoing lawsuits against Deshaun Watson. Our team has thoroughly vetted each case. We are considering many others. These women are the true heroes in this sordid story. What has become clear is that the Houston Texans organization and their contacting ‘massage therapy company’ facilitated Deshaun Watson’s conduct. In many of these cases, the Texans provided the opportunity for this conduct to occur. We believe the Texans organization was well aware of Watson’s issues, but failed to act. They knew or certainly should have known. The Houston Texans organization provided rooms for Watson at the high-end Houstonian hotel for his ‘massages’; the Texans also provided massage tables and other support for Watson’s proclivities — ostensibly to protect their ‘asset.’ We intend to make sure all involved in Watson’s conduct are held accountable, in addition to and including Watson himself.”

A Harris County grand jury declined to indict Watson on criminal charges related to the allegations, as did a Brazoria County grand jury. The complaints against Watson have been ongoing since March 17, 2021, when Buzbee first made comments on social media about the incidents. The civil suits have resulted in complaints to the Houston Police Department, an investigation by the FBI, and an ongoing investigation by the NFL. There were also warrants issued for Watson’s social media accounts.

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Texans QB Deshaun Watson’s lawyer looks forward ‘to resolving these matters in court’

Rusty Hardin, attorney representing Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson amid 22 sexual assault lawsuits, says he hopes to resolve the matters in court.

The attorney representing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in his 22 lawsuits alleging sexual assault says he looks forward to resolving the matters in a court of law.

Attorney Rusty Hardin issued a statement via KPRC-TV’s Vanessa Richardson on Thursday outlining why he has filed a motion to discover the identity of the 22 Jane Does who are suing Watson.

“We have said this before and we want to say it again: Deshaun did not force, coerce or intimidate anyone to do anything against their will. When we asked Mr. Buzbee to identify his clients weeks ago, he refused and told us to file a motion. Today we filed that motion. As discussed in our filing, Mr. Buzbee’s use of anonymous lawsuits violates Texas law and the basic concept of fairness.

It is clear that, for Mr. Buzbee, this case has never been about seeking justice in a courtroom, but destroying Deshaun’s reputation to enhance his own public profile and enrich himself. While I understand that anonymity often is used as a shield for victims, Mr. Buzbee is using it as a sword. While shielding his clients from public scrutiny, Mr. Buzbee continues to use their anonymous allegations to destroy Mr. Watson. This is simply not right. And we look forward to resolving these matters in court.”

On Friday, there will be a hearing at 11:00 a.m. in the 113 civil district court in Harris County regarding Hardin’s emergency request to disclose the names of the plaintiffs.

One of the plaintiffs has already come forward and read a public statement. The second known plaintiff submitted a letter that was read by Buzbee’s staff at a press conference.

Nike suspends endorsement of Texans QB Deshaun Watson

Nike, the official outfitter of the NFL, has suspended its endorsement of Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

One of the key points throughout the flurry of sexual assault lawsuits filed against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was that no one had dropped him from their endorsements. However, that particular fact is starting to change

According to Jabari Young of CNBC, Nike released a statement indicating they will be suspending their endorsement of Watson as the lawsuits and investigations from the Houston Police Department and the NFL unfold.

“We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and have suspended Deshaun Watson. We will continue to closely monitor the situation,” the statement from Nike read.

Nike is also the official outfitter of the NFL.

Watson has had 22 women file lawsuits against him alleging sexual assault. April 6 saw one of the women speak publicly at a press conference with the attorney representing her and the other 21 women, Tony Buzbee.

The three-time Pro Bowler is represented by Rusty Hardin, who has previously represented other former NFL stars including Adrian Peterson and Warren Moon.

Panthers still interested in Deshaun Watson despite sexual assault allegations

The latest from the Chronicle indicates that Watson has now been accused of sexual assault by six women and is facing 13 lawsuits.

The Carolina Panthers remain interested in trading for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson even despite the recent sexual assault allegations made against him, according to a report by Aaron Wilson at the Houston Chronicle.

Wilson says the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins are also still interested if Houston reverses course and Watson hits the trade block.

The latest from Samantha Ketterer at the Chronicle indicates Watson is now facing 13 lawsuits. He is accused of inappropriate conduct by several women, mostly massage therapists. They are being represented by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee. Watson has hired Rusty Hardin to defend him.

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NFL investigating lawsuits against Texans QB Deshaun Watson

The NFL stated to Tony Buzbee, a lawyer representing plaintiffs suing Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson, that they are investigating said lawsuits.

The NFL stated in a letter sent to the attorney representing plaintiffs who have filed civil suits against Deshaun Watson that the league has opened an investigation.

In a since-deleted social media post, Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing three separate Jane Does in misconduct suits filed against the Houston Texans’ starting quarterback, posted a letter from NFL special counsel of investigations Lisa Freil.

“I am the Special Counsel for Investigations at the National Football League and it is my job to look into allegations that might involve a violation of the League’s Personal Conduct Policy,” Freil wrote. “I became aware of the lawsuits you filed yesterday, as well as the one you filed this morning, which contain various allegations of misconduct by Houston Texans player Deshaun Watson. I am writing to let you know that the League has opened an investigation into these allegations and to request the cooperation of your clients in our investigation. Such cooperation would begin with engaging in Zoom interviews with myself and another League investigator at which, of course, you would be present.

“Please let me know at your earliest convenience if your clients are willing to assist us with our investigation of their allegations. Thank you.”

Buzbee took to Instagram on the evening of March 16 to state he would be filing lawsuits against Watson, who later responded on social media.

The Texans released a statement on March 17 when the first lawsuit was filed.

“We became aware of a civil lawsuit involving Deshaun Watson through a social media post last night,” the statement read. “This is the first time we heard of the matter, and we hope to learn more soon.

“We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously. We will await further information before making any additional statements on this incident.”

All three separate lawsuits involve Watson seeking a massage and turning the sessions into episodes of sexual misconduct. USA TODAY’s coverage of the lawsuits can be read in detail below.

First lawsuit.

Second lawsuit.

Third lawsuit.