Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson Settled 20 of 24 Lawsuits, According to Attorney Tony Buzbee
Jun 21, 2022, 11:44 AM | Updated: Jul 13, 2022, 1:03 pm
BEREA, OH - JUNE 14: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the Cleveland Browns mandatory minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 14, 2022 in Berea, Ohio. Nick Cammett/Getty Images
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has settled all but four lawsuits filed against him, according to attorney Tony Buzbee’s statement Tuesday.
25 lawsuits have been filed against Watson since March 16th, 2021, alleging sexual assault and other inappropriate behavior during numerous massage sessions. Out of the 25, one was dropped by the plaintiff when the judge ruled her petition had to be amended with her name. The other 20, according to Buzbee, have ben settled.
“We are working through the paperwork related to those settlements,” Buzbee said in a statement, via ESPN. “Once we have done so, those particular cases will be dismissed. The terms and amounts of the settlements are confidential. We won’t comment further on the settlements or those cases.”
Buzbee also noted that the first woman to file a lawsuit against Watson, Ashley Solis, is not one of the 20 to settle Tuesday.
“… Ashley Solis is one of the heroes of this story. Her case has not settled and thus her story and that of the other three brave women will continue. I look forward to trying these cases in due course, consistent with other docket obligations and the court’s schedule,” he said.
The NFL is still conducting their own investigation into the matter to determine whether or not Watson violated the NFL’s code of conduct after interviewing him in person last month.
Tony Buzbee announces in a statement that all but four of the civil lawsuits against #Browns QB Deshaun Watson have been settled pic.twitter.com/Ye3HoQi05h
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) June 21, 2022
“Today’s development has no impact on the collectively bargained disciplinary process,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tuesday
Watson spoke to the media for the first time since his introductory press conference with the Browns last week, doubling down on the idea that he has no regrets about his actions, but admitted he regrets the impact the allegations have had on the people around him.
“I do understand that I do have regrets as far as the impact that [it’s had] on the community and people outside of just myself,” Watson said. “And that includes my family. That includes this organization. That includes my teammates in this locker room that have to answer to these questions. That includes the fan base of the Cleveland Browns. That includes males, females, everyone across the, the world. That’s one thing I do regret is the impact that it’s triggered on so many people. It’s tough to have to deal with.”
The Houston Texans traded Watson to the Browns in March in exchange for a package that included three first-round draft picks. The Browns also handed him a five-year, $230 million guaranteed contract this offseason.
