CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson settled the civil suit filed against him last month alleging sexual assault on a date, attorney Tony Buzbee told cleveland.com.
“We have now resolved our client’s claim with Deshaun Watson,” Buzbee said in an email response. “The settlement is confidential.”
According to the filing, the plaintiff was seeking $1 million in damages.
The settlement also likely effectively ends the NFL’s review of the case under the Personal Conduct Policy, which could’ve resulted in further punishment for Watson. Cleveland.com reached out to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy for comment.
The settlement was the 24th for a Buzbee client accusing Watson of sexual misconduct or assault, with the other 23 being massage therapists mostly in the Houston area when he played for the Texas accusing. One plaintiff dropped her suit, and one is pending. Another attorney has a pending civil suit against Watson for sexual misconduct.
Watson said last month that he heard about the most recent suit when everyone else did, and wasn’t aware of the allegations. Buzbee, who said the client had video related to the alleged incident, begged to differ, saying that Watson was “well aware of what he did.”
The suit alleged that Watson sexually assaulted the woman, known only as Jane Doe, during a date at her apartment in Houston in 2020. Watson strongly denied the allegations, and his attorney, Rusty Hardin, said in a statement of Watson that he was “comfortable he will ultimately be vindicated.”
In 2022, Watson served an 11-game suspension by the NFL for what it deemed sexual misconduct during appointments with the massage therapists. He also paid a $5 million fine and was order to undergo an extensive treatment program for the disturbing pattern of behavior.
As part of the agreement reached between the NFL and NFLPA, any new suits arising from incidents in the same time that were substantially similar would not result in new punishment for Watson.
The NFL decided to investigate this case because it was different enough from the others.
But with the settlement being confidential, the NFL probably won’t have an opportunity to interview the plaintiff, and the investigation will likely end.
