Deshaun Watson Proclaims Innocence: "I’ve Never Assaulted Or Disrespected Any Woman'
Deshaun Watson, in his first meeting with the media since his trade from the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns - and his first at-length comments in over a year -on Friday proclaimed his innocence in the face of charges of sexual improprieties.
"I understand the seriousness of the allegations,'' Watson said in the midday presser in Cleveland. "I’ve never assaulted a single woman. I’ve never disrespected any woman.
“I’ve never done the things people are alleging."
The press conference comes on the heels of a Thursday legal matter, as a single criminal complaint with an allegation of sexual misconduct in a massage therapy session ended with a Brazoria County grand jury deciding to not charge Watson.
Says a statement from Brazoria County District Attorney Tom Selleck:
“After a careful and thorough review of the facts and evidence documented in the
reports prepared by the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police
Department, as well as hearing testimony from witnesses, the Grand Jury for Brazoria
County has declined to charge Deshaun Watson with any crimes. Accordingly, this matter is closed.”
A courthouse official indicated this was a fast process since it wasn't a new complaint. It originated from a 2020 massage therapy session.
A Harris County grand jury had already declined to indict Watson on nine allegations of sexual misconduct or assault from massage therapists, but Watson is still facing 22 active civil lawsuits.
Watson said his intent isn't to settle the civil suits, but rather to continue to try to clear his name.
Watson's attorney Rusty Hardin responded via statement:
“We are thrilled that the Brazoria County grand jury cleared Deshaun Watson of the one remaining criminal allegation. We’ve known all along what people who learn the facts also know – Deshaun committed no crimes. In fact, two separate grand juries have now found that there wasn’t even probable cause to believe he committed a crime. Once the Harris County cases were concluded, we were informed that Brazoria County intended to present their case to a grand jury on Wednesday, March 23. We, and the complainant, were offered the opportunity to provide any information we wanted to the grand jury. It’s important to note that both we and the Cleveland Browns knew this grand jury presentation was pending and attempted not to discuss it publicly until it was completed."
Watson agreed to a trade to the Cleveland Browns last week and then signed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract, the largest in NFL history.
While proclaiming his innocence, Watson also noted, "I have to earn that trust. I have to earn that trust back. I've always been a community leader ... I'm a servant leader. ... I'm not naive to the point that I have to earn that trust.'
