HOUSTON — Multiple lawsuits have been filed accusing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct and, in some cases, sexual assault during massages.
Local attorney Tony Buzbee is representing the women, most of whom are massage therapists and small business owners who advertised on Instagram.
Many of the women said they suffered emotional distress after the incidents, including anxiety and panic attacks, according to the lawsuits.
Watson called the first lawsuit “baseless” but hasn’t responded to the other lawsuits that have been filed.
He’s hired Houston attorney Rusty Hardin. Hardin released a statement saying Buzbee “has orchestrated a circus-like atmosphere by using social media to publicize” the lawsuits “in a manner calculated to inflame the public and malign Deshaun’s otherwise sterling reputation.
RELATED: Attorney Rusty Hardin denies allegations that Deshaun Watson contacted women to settle lawsuits
Here’s what we know about each case.
WARNING: Contains graphic details
Jane Doe #1 – Case No. 15324
The first lawsuit accuses Watson of civil assault during a massage at her home last March.
According to the lawsuit, Watson repeatedly asked the woman to focus on his groin area. She said he “purposely” exposed himself and “purposely” touched her with his penis.
The woman says she abruptly ended the massage and Watson later apologized.
Jane Doe #2 – Case No. 15613
The second lawsuit filed alleges sexual assault during a massage at a Houston office building in December 2020.
The woman said Watson “aggressively dictated” what he wanted and made it clear that he was a professional football player who could help or hurt her career.
She accused Watson of asking her to massage his genitals, then forcing her to perform oral sex.
According to the lawsuit, she felt intimidated and threatened and was afraid of what would happen if she resisted.
The woman said she blacked out from fear and now suffers from panic attacks, anxiety and depression.
Jane Doe #3 – Case No. 15536
The woman is a massage therapist in Atlanta who said Watson contacted her on Instagram last August and agreed to pay for her flight to Houston.
They met at the Houstonian Hotel where he had a suite. The lawsuit alleges Watson was fully exposed and refused to cover his genital area with a towel.
She said he repeatedly encouraged her to massage there and in other inappropriate areas and touched her with his penis.
The woman said Watson only paid half of what she was owed and later contacted her about getting a massage in Atlanta, but she didn’t respond.
Jane Doe #4 – Case No. 15937
The lawsuit says Watson initially contacted the licensed esthetician’s boss, asked for a photo of the plaintiff and asked if he could give the plaintiff a massage.
During the first appointment in September, the woman said Watson became aroused and asked her what she was going to do about it.
She said she was afraid to complain because she didn’t want to risk her job or career.
During the next appointment in October, the woman said Watson told her she was wearing too many clothes, tried to kiss her and tried to put his penis in her hand.
She said she cut the session short and Watson became angry and left.
Jane Doe #5 – Case No. 15938
The massage therapist said Watson was respectful at the beginning of the massage in October 2020.
But she said he began moving in a “provocative manner” and exposed himself.
When Watson arrived for a second massage in November, she said he caught her off guard and kissed her, then asked her to focus on his buttocks and penis area.
She refused but said he moved in a way that his penis touched her hand.
The civil assault lawsuit alleges he offered to pay extra for a massage in that area and she refused, so he got angry and left.
Jane Doe #6 – Case No. 15940
The woman, who said she’s massaged several professional athletes in the past, said Watson contacted her through Instagram last June.
She said he told her “I make a lot of massage therapists uncomfortable and it’s really hard for me to find someone who will meet my needs.”
The lawsuit alleges Watson kept knocking his towel off, exposed himself and touched her with his penis.
“Watson laughingly told the plaintiff she could move his penis,” the suit states.
She said she felt “trapped, angry and dirty” and has suffered from panic attacks, anxiety, depression and difficulty sleeping.
Jane Doe #7 – Case No. 15943
This massage took place in September 2020 at a Houston salon where the woman rents a room, according to the civil assault lawsuit.
The woman alleges Watson asked if he could be naked and if it was OK if he became aroused, but she told him to cover himself.
She said he “continued to move his body in a way that would cause his penis to repeatedly touch the plaintiff’s hand.”
The woman said she was shocked and moved away, and then Watson ejaculated while lying on his back.
She said she stopped the session and left the room.
Jane Doe #8 – Case No. 16298
The lawsuit by aa spa worker training to become a licensed massage therapist accuses Watson of sexual assault.
In June 2020, the woman was asked to meet Watson at a hotel after he arranged an appointment through her spa manager, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims he groped the woman’s vagina and buttocks and touched her with his penis.
She said he suddenly left without paying full price and told her manager “she had not given [Watson] what he wanted.”
In August, she said she got a direct message from Watson on Instagram requesting a massage, but didn’t realize it was the same man from the hotel.
She recognized him when he arrived, and told him his behavior had been inappropriate and Watson apologized, the lawsuit states. He said “he had never been rejected by a woman before.”
She told Watson she is a lesbian, according to the lawsuit, but he forced her to perform oral sex saying “there is a first time for everything.” The woman said he then masturbated in front of her.
She said she was humiliated and scared and is currently receiving psychiatric counseling.
Jane Doe #9 – Case No. 16301
In early Marchof 2021, Watson reached out to a licensed massage therapist who runs her own practice in Georgia, according to the lawsuit.
It alleges Watson inquired about a $55 promotion the woman was advertising on Instagram and requested she meet him at a location in Atlanta, but inevitably the appointment was held at her private business suite in Buckhead, Georgia.
During the session, the lawsuit said Watson asked her to massage his groin and testicles, exposed himself and put his penis in her hand. When she moved away, he paid her and left.
Jane Doe #10 – Case No. 16370
The woman, who is a licensed esthetician and owns a skincare business in Houston, claims she got a direct message on Instagram from Watson in mid-April 2020.
Some point into the massage, the lawsuit alleges Watson repeatedly touched her with his penis and then ejaculated.
The lawsuit said the woman reluctantly followed Watson’s instructions.
She was left “confused and mortified” and later confided in her mother about the incident, according to the lawsuit.
Jane Doe #11 – Case No. 16372
In late January of 2021, Watson allegedly reached out to the owner of a massage business requesting services.
The woman said Watson exposed himself even after she made it clear that this was strictly a professional massage.
According to the lawsuit, Watson touched her with his penis and said “Oh that felt good. Can you do that again?”
She declined and he said “I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do,” the lawsuit says.
The client said he incident left her with deep emotional trauma and has impacted her marriage.
Jane Doe #12 – Case No. 16420
The woman, who is a professional massage therapist that offers mobile services, got a direct message from Watson on Instagram in July 2020, according to court documents.
The lawsuit alleges they eventually agreed to meet at a Houston hotel on the afternoon of August 2, 2020.
Court documents said Watson kept asking if he could remove his towel, but the woman told him no. Soon, according to the lawsuit, Watson began demonstrating “aggressive behavior” and demanded the woman touch him in a sexually inappropriate manner.
At one point, the lawsuit alleges the woman went to the bathroom and Watson was completely naked when she returned. He allegedly asked if she would be willing to “do more” for extra money.
According to the lawsuit, when the woman declined, Watson was angered and told her to leave.
Jane Doe #13 – Case No. 16424
Court documents said the woman normally offers professional cosmetic services, such as teeth whitening and detoxing.
In July 2020, Watson contacted her on Instagram and scheduled a massage at her home.
According to the lawsuit, Watson requested “she wear something comfortable that she likes to wear around the house.”
During the session, according to court documents, Watson asked the woman to massage his groin and private area. It also alleges the player touched himself inappropriately and then ejaculated on the woman. He then left the house.
Immediately afterward, the lawsuit said the woman called a friend and told her what happened. It said the woman felt “violated, disgusted and ashamed.”
Jane Doe #14 – Case No. 16650
A Los Angeles massage therapist, who has several years of experience working with professional football players and high-profile athletes, also is accusing Watson of sexual misconduct.
According to the lawsuit, Watson sent the woman a direct message on Instagram inquiring about her services in July 2020. The NFL star reached out complaining of back pain and they arranged to meet at a house in Beverly Hills, the lawsuit said.
During the session, the lawsuit alleges Watson brought the therapist to a room and locked the door behind them, prompting her to grab her mace. She claims Watson “chuckled” and the session proceeded seemingly as normal until she returned from the bathroom.
That’s when, according to the document, Watson become aggressive in his request and instructed her to touch him in sexually inappropriate areas. He is also accused of exposing himself during the session.
The lawsuit claims Watson told the woman not to talk about the appointment, which she considered a threat.
Watson is accused of reaching out to the same woman again in December 2020 about scheduling another appointment in Chicago, but she didn’t respond.
Jane Doe #15 – Case No. 16903
According to this lawsuit, Watson requested a massage from the plaintiff in May 2020.
The massage was scheduled to take place at his house and he told her to come to the session dressed in “casually relaxing attire” and also that “you don’t have to be full professional,” according to the lawsuit.
During the session, Watson exposed himself and ejaculated on the woman, the lawsuit claims.
According to the lawsuit the woman “felt violated and disgusted and felt as though she was trapped in some weird nightmare” after the incident.
The lawsuit goes on to claim that Watson texted her the same day and asked if she was OK and also repeatedly reached out asking to book her again. She says she either ignored or rejected the requests.
Jane Doe #16 – Case No. 16919
In October of last year, a woman who is licensed in body contouring and skin tightening and works for a spa in Houston said she was assigned to perform a massage on Watson in October.
She said she declined to sign a non-disclosure agreement before the meeting.
According to the lawsuit, once he showed up for the appointment, Watson immediately got naked and laid face-down on the table.
During the massage, the woman said Watson asked her to touch him in inappropriate places and when she declined, she said she quickly finished the massage.
She said Watson only paid one-third of what he owed. The woman says she believes Watson is in the sex trade, according to the lawsuit.
Jane Doe #17 – Case No. 18045
The flight attendant said she was a massage therapy student when Watson contacted her.
She said he wanted a massage at a hotel and she refused because they have mutual friends and she didn’t want it to “look fishy.” She said she ignored multiple messages from him until he contacted her best friend, who encouraged her to do the massage.
The woman said Watson drove to her mother’s house in Pearland for the first massage in November 2020. According to the lawsuits, he asked her to sign an NDA, then wanted her to massage areas she wasn’t comfortable with.
During a second massage on November 10, his small towel kept coming off and “he kept aggressively moving his penis toward the plaintiff’s hand.” She said he ejaculated on her.
The woman said she ignored multiple texts and phone calls asking for another massage.
Jane Doe #18 – Case No. 18047
A mutual friend referred Watson to this massage therapist who went to his house for the first appointment, according to the lawsuit.
She said Watson’s penis was exposed and it touched her hand several times. She gave him “the benefit of the doubt” and agreed to another appointment.
During that appointment, she said Watson asked her to massage between his penis and testicles but she refused. The lawsuit states his penis again touched her hand several times.
After the same thing happened during a third massage, according to the lawsuit, the woman said she realized Watson “wanted sex ” fired him as a client. She said she felt violated, disgusted and used,” and told her husband Watson just “wanted a happy ending.”
Jane Doe #19 – Case No. 18074
During a massage in October 2020, the woman said Watson told her he would pay extra money if she used her hands between his legs. He told her “don’t worry, no one will know,” the lawsuit states.
The woman said Watson repeatedly touched her with his exposed penis before grabbing her hand and putting it on his penis. She pulled back and told him “no,” according to the suit.
This lawsuit also accuses Watson of contacting some women in an attempt to settle lawsuits and of deleting his Instagram messages.
Watson’s response
After Buzbee announced the first lawsuit, Watson responded on Twitter with a written statement. He called Buzbee a “publicity-seeking lawyer” who, before filing suit, “made a baseless six-figure settlement demand,” which he says he “quickly rejected.”
Watson wrote, “I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect.”
Buzbee later responded that “this case isn’t about money – It’s about dignity and stopping behavior that should be stopped, NOW!”.
These are civil lawsuits and no criminal charges have been filed. Buzbee said he was handing over affidavits and evidence the Houston Police Department and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
The NFL is also investigating the allegations.