Deshaun Watson is currently facing 19 civil lawsuits filed by massage therapists who have accused him of sexual misconduct during sessions. Watson has categorically denied the allegations, but the details of the lawsuits show a pattern of inappropriate behavior with massage therapists that have included the star quarterback touching them with his penis, ejaculating on them, or forcing them to put their mouths on his penis.
On Monday, a 20th therapist came forward, one not attached to lawyer Tony Buzbee and his lawsuits, and offered her story of Watson’s inappropriate behavior during a session in Houston in 2019, speaking with Sports Illustrated’s Jenny Vrentas under an alias and offering a detailed account of Watson’s actions. While she said Watson never forced her to perform any sexual acts, she noted his session was “unlike any other interaction” she has ever had with a client, and tracked similarly to the details in the various lawsuits.
As has been noted by others in the lawsuits, the therapist says Watson asked her to work solely on his quads, inner thighs, and abdomen, lying face up the entire session. After 45 minutes, he removed the beach towel covering his genitals, claiming it was “too itchy,” a move that “shocked” the therapist. Watson asked for the 90 minute session to be extended another hour, and later developed an erection and began “thrusting in the air,” stopping briefly after she asked if it was a pained response to deep tissue work. She then detailed towards the end of the session that he became more overt in his behavior.
“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.
Vrentas corroborated the therapist’s account with a friend the therapist had called immediately after the session, and reviewed text and direct messages that Watson later sent the therapist trying to set up an appointment — the therapist believed he was unaware he had already seen her as he declined to book a massage after both times reaching out when she made clear she was only there to do professional massage work.
The full account of the session is well worth reading, and the therapist says she isn’t sure if she will pursue legal action but felt compelled to come forward after seeing the others do the same with the lawsuits, as well as Watson’s fervent denial and insistence that he has always respected women.
“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.”
Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said they weren’t in a position to comment on “another anonymous story or complaint” when contacted by Vrentas for a comment or response to the story.