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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