Deshaun Watson is struggling on the field for the Cleveland Browns. The embattled quarterback has settled his latest off-field issues, however, with NBC Sports reporting Monday that the former Pro Bowler has resolved a September lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault and battery.
The alleged victim’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, confirmed the development to NBC Sports, announcing that his client’s case is complete, and that the accompanying “settlement is confidential.”
The lawsuit alleged that Watson exposed himself, then sexually assaulted a woman while on a date at her apartment in 2020, when he was still a member of the Houston Texans. Watson “strongly denied” the allegations through his attorney, Rusty Hardin, and told reporters at the time he had the Browns’ support.
“I can’t speak for the fans, I can’t speak for anybody outside this building,” Watson said, “but I know that, hearing from [ownership] and [general manager Andrew Berry] and those guys, I know that they tell me each and every day that they support me and they got my back and they want me to focus on being the best quarterback I can be. … They know my character. They see me each and every day. They know exactly who I am. And I think that’s the difference. When you’re around me each and every day, you know my aura, you know my energy, you know my character, I think you would understand who I really am.”
Watson settling this latest case, which came two years after he faced more than 20 separate lawsuits alleging sexual assault or misconduct, likely erases the possibility of his accuser speaking with the NFL about a potential violation of the league’s personal conduct policy, per NBC Sports. The quarterback previously served an 11-game suspension in 2022, his first year with the Browns, for a violation of that policy, though he never faced criminal charges for his alleged pattern of behavior.
