Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is currently facing 19 civil lawsuits filed by attorney Tony Buzbee on behalf of massage therapists alleging a pattern of sexual assault and sexual harassment, reportedly hasn’t reached out to any women to attempt to settle the cases and hasn’t deleted any Instagram messages since the start of the litigation, according to his lawyer, Rusty Hardin.
Those accusations came against him in the newest lawsuits against the Texans QB.
Not only that, Sports published an interview with a massage therapist who described a 2019 session with Watson that detailed his behavior. The therapist, who had been in contact with Buzbee but felt pressure to sign, is not one of the women who have filed suit against him.
Just a few of the highlights of the story:
- Watson did not force her into any sexual acts or touch her.
- Watson removed his towel to show an erect penis.
- Watson appeared to be masturbating during the session.
- Told her she could move his penis if she likes.
- Watson pre-ejaculated on his stomach.
- She told a family member about what happened.
- She has DMs from Watson confirming he knew she felt uncomfortable about what he did.
- Watson didn’t make a second appointment after she told him nothing else would happen besides a massage.
Massage therapist Mary says she contacted Buzbee’s firm after the first complaints were filed, but says she felt pressured to sign a contract for them to represent her and declined.
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She is working with U.A. Lewis, a civil rights attorney, to explore her options.
“The one thing I keep thinking about is, he’s about to get traded to another place,” Mary says. “What if he goes to Atlanta or California or anywhere else? He would have a whole new community of massage therapists to target.”
Mary also wants the information she is sharing to spur Watson to get help, and to be used in a way that helps establish a higher respect level for the massage therapy profession, which she and many of her colleagues entered into with the goal of helping people.
“I just want a genuine apology, for us and our community, for putting us in these situations where we don’t know what to do,” she says. “There are so many people that are against us, saying, ‘Why would he do that? He has no reason to do that. He has a beautiful girlfriend; he has this, this, this and this.’ All of those things are true, but fame doesn’t create character.”
Mary had no clue the client would be Watson until about 15 minutes before the appointment, which she says was routine when she’d receive a referral. She was told a standard request from Watson is to use a towel for the session rather than sheets.
“She used the oversize towel to drape him until about 45 minutes into the session, when she says he tossed the towel onto the floor, saying it was too itchy. Watson was lying face up on the table, naked and totally uncovered, something Mary says has never happened during any of her other massage appointments.
“I was in shock,” Mary says. She proceeded with the massage without the towel, knowing that her payment was coming from another therapist. “I trusted the therapist that referred him to me that nothing weird was going to happen.”
After 90 minutes, Watson asked to extend the session for another hour. She continued to work only on his quads, inner thighs and abdomen—the specific areas he requested. Watson developed an erection, she says, and also began clenching and slowly “thrusting the air.” Mary at first wondered whether his movements were a pain response to her deep-tissue work, so she asked whether he was O.K. She says he replied that he was fine and stopped thrusting for a short time.
Mary had dealt with clients who had erections before, but it usually happened after they fell asleep.
“But Watson’s behavior indicated to her that “his intentions were different.” She adds, “There was one point that he did tell me that I could move [his penis] if I needed to, and I just completely ignored him.” She took this as a suggestion to touch his exposed penis.
Watson stayed on his back for the entire session. While massaging his abdomen, Mary says she noticed “different fluids on his stomach.” She remembers questioning whether it was really pre-ejaculate, telling herself, This can’t be what I think it is. In the final five to 10 minutes of the session, Mary says Watson began thrusting his pelvis in the air again, this time much faster. “At that point, I recognized it for what it was,” Mary says. She says she told him he needed to “calm down.” He stopped, the session ended and she left the room to let him get dressed. When she returned, he gave her a hug. Because of his request to use the back entrance, she then had to walk him out of the building.
Mary says she immediately told the other massage therapist who had referred Watson to her everything that had happened; she remembers the other therapist telling her she would talk to Watson. Mary also called a family member directly following the session. SI spoke to this relative, who remembers taking Mary’s call that afternoon at a stoplight at a specific intersection in Houston. The relative’s account of what Mary told her then aligns with Mary’s description of the incident now; she also recalls Mary’s shock and disbelief that day, as she described what she believed to be the pre-ejaculatory fluid on his stomach and his suggestion for her to touch and move his penis. They were both stunned that she and the business she’d worked hard to build had been disrespected in this way.”
Watson reached out to both Mary several times to get another appointment, some even by Instagram messages, which was confirmed by Sports Illustrated.
Mary had to inform him that they worked together already, which he did not realize.
“She had reservations, but recognizing that he could be an important client for her growing business, she told him she could work with him again if he could be respectful. She also made clear to him, in one message, “I just do massage,” followed by the upside-down smiley face emoji. Watson replied, “Oh gotcha, sorry there were no intentions for anything more.”
Watson did not book an appointment.
