HOUSTON (AP) 鈥 With nearly all of the more than two dozen lawsuits filed against Deshaun Watson having been settled, most of the women who accused the Cleveland quarterback of sexual misconduct have no interest in his return to Houston on Sunday and just want to move on with their lives, according to their attorney.
But about 10 of the women who accused Watson of sexual harassment and assault during massages are planning to attend Sunday鈥檚 game at Houston鈥檚 NRG Stadium when the Browns take on the Texans and watch him play in his return from , said attorney Tony Buzbee.
really want to attend the game 鈥渢o kind of make the statement, 鈥楬ey we鈥檙e still here. We matter. Our voice was heard and this is not something that鈥檚 over. (Sexual harassment and assault) happen every day in the United States,鈥欌 Buzbee said.
The women declined to comment ahead of Sunday's game, he said.
But it鈥檚 unclear if the spotlight Watson is expected to get this week will mean continued attention on the allegations against him and what his accusers say is trauma they're still dealing with, or if it鈥檚 the first step in shifting the conversation strictly to football and his play on the field, according to experts.
鈥淚t can go either way ... I think probably for the vast majority of NFL fans, they鈥檙e going to forget about the past and start focusing on the future with him,鈥 said David Ring, a California-based attorney who is not connected to the lawsuits and who has represented victims of sexual assault.
Watson was still with the Houston Texans when more than 20 women alleged he exposed himself, touched them or kissed them against their will during massage therapy sessions. One woman alleged Watson forced her to perform oral sex.
Ultimately, 25 women represented by Buzbee filed lawsuits. One woman dropped her lawsuit while 23 others settled their cases in August. In July, of turning a blind eye to allegations against their former star quarterback settled their legal claims against the team.
Watson, who was traded to the Browns in March, has long denied any wrongdoing and Texas declined to indict him.
Rusty Hardin, Watson鈥檚 lead attorney, declined to comment on Watson鈥檚 return to Houston, citing confidentiality agreements from the settled lawsuits.
One woman represented by Buzbee declined to settle and he expects the case will go to trial.
The other pending lawsuit by a woman who alleges Watson pressured her to perform oral sex.
In court documents, Hardin and Watson鈥檚 legal team said the latest lawsuit was filed by someone 鈥渟eeking to cash-in on 15 minutes of fame.鈥
But Anissah Nguyen, who is representing the newest plaintiff, said in court documents that efforts by Watson鈥檚 legal team to discredit her client鈥檚 allegations are 鈥渇or purposes of intimidating, bullying, and victim-shaming (the woman) into dropping her lawsuit.鈥
Some organizations that work with victims of sexual violence said the expected media attention on Watson鈥檚 return to Houston is likely to trigger traumatic emotions in the women who accused him and with other survivors.
鈥淚 think survivors in high-profile cases whom I鈥檝e talked to over the years, you get very mixed reactions. Some of them just want it to be out of the news ... Others want (the perpetrator鈥檚 name) repeated every time ... because bit by bit, they feel like that brings some degree of justice,鈥 said Scott Berkowitz, president and founder of RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest 好色tv Network.
Sonia Corrales, deputy CEO of the Houston Area Women鈥檚 Center, said this week鈥檚 focus on Watson鈥檚 return could be an opportunity for the NFL to highlight its policies to punish violence against women. A 2021 study by the University of Arkansas found the NFL did not follow its own personal conduct policy in punishing players who committed violent acts, including violence against women.
An NFL spokesman did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to suspect that the NFL is going to hold its nose and hope this weekend goes by quickly. I don鈥檛 think they鈥檙e going to address it,鈥 Ring said.
Corrales said she hopes the attention this week from the media and public also prompts discussion not just on football but on sexual violence and all its forms.
鈥淪ure, you want to concentrate on football, but let鈥檚 not minimize. Let鈥檚 also say this is important, that we need to talk about the trauma and the impact that sexual violence has on survivors,鈥 Corrales said.
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