Deshaun Watson’s Attorney Says “Happy Endings” to a Massage are not Necessarily Illegal
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s lawyer is doing him no favors in the eye of public perception, which could make it all worse. Rusty Hardin was on the SportsRadio 610 station out of Houston and said that essentially happy endings to a massage are not illegal.
“I don’t know how many men are out there now that have had a massage, that perhaps that occasionally there was a happy ending, Hardin said.
“I do want to point out that if it has happen, it’s not a crime. Unless you are paying somebody extra to give you some type of sexual activity it’s not a crime.”
Watson has 23 accusers at the time, soon to be 24. The Browns’ quarterback has been adamant there was no wrongdoing, but more and more signs are coming out saying there was more than a massage happening.
Hardin remains adamant that Watson has done nothing wrong, but the courts will decide that in a civil matter.
“We’ve had two grand juries find that, but nobody seems to want to listen.”
Surely, the Browns and the NFL want this call cleared up but more and more details continue to come out. In this case, it’s Watson’s lawyer saying things that won’t help his case.
Statement from Hardin on his comment today: “Deshaun Watson did nothing wrong. And as two grand juries have made clear, Deshaun did nothing illegal. Deshaun has always acknowledged consensual sexual activity with three of the plaintiff massage therapists after massages. And Deshaun has repeatedly sworn under oath that he did not force any of his accusers to have sexual contact. On a Houston radio show interview today, I mentioned that a massage that has a "happy ending" is not illegal, meaning it is not illegal for someone to have consensual sex with a therapist after a massage unless the sex is for pay. Deshaun did not pay anyone for sex. I was using the term hypothetically and not describing Deshaun's case. I have reiterated to others it's not ok to do anything that a woman does not agree to do. These women have alleged assault in their pleadings. I was speaking in a hypothetical situation. If there is a consensual sexual encounter after a massage, that is not a crime nor the basis for a civil lawsuit. I was not talking about what Deshaun did or did not do or expected or did not expect.”
Brandon Little is a writer for Sports Illustrated’s Browns Digest website and you can follow him on Twitter @BrandonLittleFB here. You can follow Browns Digest on Twitter here.
