After a lengthy legal battle involving numerous women, Deshaun Watson, the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, may once again be required to provide testimony in one of the few remaining cases of alleged sexual misconduct against him. The woman who filed a lawsuit against Watson in October 2022 has requested that he be compelled to give an in-person deposition before August 1st, as stated in documents obtained by USA Today. David Bickham, one of the woman’s attorneys, submitted a court filing seeking an order from the Harris County, Texas court to allow for further questioning of Watson and the production of necessary answers.
Watson previously underwent a deposition for this case in June, but the session was cut short due to improper instructions from Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin. Hardin prevented Watson from answering questions related to other ongoing cases, such as inquiries about whether he had experienced sexual arousal during previous massage sessions. At the time, Watson faced accusations of sexual misconduct from 26 women in relation to massage sessions. While Watson and his attorney acknowledged that consensual sexual encounters had occurred during some of these sessions, they vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Ultimately, Watson reached undisclosed settlements with 23 of the 26 women, with one dropping her case shortly after filing and two remaining.
In this specific case, Hardin strongly denies the allegations that Watson coerced the woman into engaging in oral sex in December 2020. Hardin accused the woman of harboring unreciprocated feelings and criticized one of her attorneys, Anissah Nguyen, for the line of questioning directed towards Watson. According to a transcript obtained by USA Today, Hardin stated, “Not only is your lawsuit baseless and without merit, but we will not be revisiting other incidents from previous cases. It is no secret that he has been sued by multiple women and settled numerous lawsuits. However, we will not be addressing those cases again, as they are all subject to Confidentiality Agreements.”
Continuing his remarks, Hardin emphasized, “You suddenly appeared at the last minute. The evidence, as already demonstrated through the filings, clearly exposes the frivolous nature of this lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit against a man simply because he has financial means does not grant you the right to delve into every aspect of his life. That will not happen. If you wish to take this matter to court, you are free to do so. However, he will not be answering questions regarding other incidents. Inquiries about whether he experienced an erection during a massage session are not relevant. We are more than willing to discuss any matters pertaining to the plaintiff and her encounter with him.”
According to the Source deadspin.com