Browns’ Stefanski Comments on Watson’s Status in Wake of 24th Lawsuit

Editors’ note: This story contains accounts of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or at https://www.rainn.org.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski faced a slew of questions concerning Deshaun Watson and the ongoing legal troubles in the wake of a second civil lawsuit in a week being filed against their quarterback. 

This marks 24 active lawsuits filed against Watson, each detailing graphic accounts of sexual harassment and sexual assault that occurred during massage therapy sessions. The accounts range from Watson allegedly refusing to cover his genitals to the quarterback “touching [a plaintiff] with his penis and trying to force her to perform oral sex on him.” The latest detailed that Watson masturbated and ejaculated on the plaintiff without her consent.

Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, released a statement Monday, saying in part, “Our legal team has not had time to investigate this new filing and had not heard her name until today.”

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Stefanski said he’s “going to be respectful of the investigation, of the legal proceedings. I’m going to let that play out.” When asked about the Browns’ investigation, the coach said he “can’t add much” and reiterated his previous comment of letting this “play out.” 

Watson has denied all allegations against him, and two Texas grand juries declined to indict him on criminal charges.

On Tuesday, The New York Times published a bombshell report on the quarterback, finding that the 26-year-old booked sessions with at least 66 different women for massage therapy sessions in the span of 17 months. Additionally, the Times’ Jenny Vrentas revealed that a Houston-based spa and the Texans “enabled” Watson’s massage habit, specifically that the franchise provided nondisclosure agreements and facilities for his sessions.

The 23rd active petition filed early last week not only detailed sexual misconduct but also asserts that A New U Salon Spa “provided” women for Watson. “Dionne Louis, the owner of the spa, facilitated massages for Watson and knew Watson was attempting to have sex with them,” it says. According to Cash App receipts and text messages included in the petition documents, “Watson paid Dionne Louis at least five thousand dollars for Louis’s ‘work.’”

Whether Watson will play this season is still unknown. Commissioner Roger Goodell recently disclosed the league is “nearing the end of the investigation” into Watson. However, no time line was provided on when a ruling would be issued by the disciplinary officer. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports that June 30 will be a key date in this saga as it’s the deadline for pretrial discovery in the active cases.