WATSON WATCH
Deshaun Watson's lawyer makes strong statement about all 22 women suing his client
Apr 19, 2021, 4:48 pm
Hardin made some strong statements. Composite image by Jack Brame.
Deshaun Watson's lawyer Rusty Hardin released the following statement on Monday, and he's making their position very clear. They believe all 22 plaintiffs are lying.
"Today we answered the lawsuits filed against our client Deshaun Watson. Mr. Watson has been adamant that he did not engage in any improper conduct and we strongly believe him. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether we are saying that all 22 plaintiffs are lying about the allegations of sexual misconduct by Mr. Watson is a resounding yes.
"We and Mr. Watson take allegations of sexual misconduct against women very seriously, as we all should. We have waited to respond to the numerous allegations made by Mr. Buzbee and his clients until we could responsibly investigate. In the few days since his accusers' names have been revealed, as was required by Texas law, we are discovering an avalanche of false accusations.
"Only two of these 22 lawsuits allege forced sexual activity, which Mr. Watson vehemently denies. In the case of Sheneé Lawson, her business manager acknowledged to Mr. Watson's marketing manager that the contact was consensual, but she still wanted money. And in the case of Marchelle Davis, witnesses state that Ms. Davis was happy and excited after she massaged Mr. Watson. She lied about being alone at the spa with him. She knew there was a security guard present at all times when Mr. Watson was there. In addition, she told witnesses that if Mr. Watson had paid her off, she would have supported him instead of suing him.
"I hope everyone will take a fair and measured look at these accusations as we go forward in these cases. We certainly welcome anyone with relevant information to contact us. We do not expect to make any other comment today. The next hearing in this case is scheduled for Thursday afternoon."
According to a document filed by Rusty Hardin, 7 plaintiffs willingly worked or offered to work with Watson after the alleged incidents, and 5 plaintiffs told others they wanted to get money out of Watson. Out of all the information that came out today, these two statements help Watson's case the most.
Lawyer Tony Buzbee responded with a statement of his own on Monday:
In a statement, Tony Buzbee says, “The weak and vague allegations made in Defendant's [Deshaun Watson] response are demonstrably false." pic.twitter.com/WFaHrdlO06
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) April 19, 2021
Clearly this process is just getting started, but overall this was a good day for Watson. We'll see if these claims are used as leverage to reach an agreement on a settlement, or if both sides will battle it out in court.
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