Deshaun Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, has revealed that one woman has dropped her civil lawsuit against the Texan quarterback, Tom Pelissero, NFL Network, reported Tuesday.
“We believe we have names for 20 of the 22 lawsuits,” Hardin said. “We’ve fired one and we’re looking for one (name).”
However, the court document says that the “Plaintiff reserves the right to reaffirm this matter once such issues have been addressed,” and says the lawsuit was dismissed “for the time being” in view of privacy concerns.
Last week in two separate hearings, District Judge Dedra Davis granted Hardin’s request to identify one of the 22 plaintiffs. A second judge made the same decision Friday afternoon in the cases of 12 other women. Later that day, the lawyers agreed to release a 14th name.
Before Friday, only two women were publicly identified.
Houston Attorney Tony Buzbee issued a statement Tuesday night saying his law firm would amend all 22 lawsuits to make the names known, “even those currently not subject to a court order.”
Buzbee said in a statement that his law firm “had earlier sought to make the names of the plaintiffs that Deshaun Watson is making available to the defense, and intended to do so in due course.”
“We were concerned about the safety of these plaintiffs, and asked the Watson team to agree to a protective order where the identity in the lawsuit could be used but not broadcast to the world.”
However, Hardin said in a statement last week when his law firm asked Buzbee “to identify his clients weeks ago, he refused and told us to file a motion.”
“While I understand that anonymity is often used as a shield for victims, Mr. Buzbee uses it as a sword,” Hardin said in a statement Thursday. “While Mr Buzbee is protecting his clients from public inquiry, he continues to use their anonymous allegations to destroy Mr Watson. That is simply not right. And we look forward to resolving these matters in court. “
As of Wednesday night, 20 of the lawsuits have been amended to make the names of the plaintiffs known. Another lawsuit is expected to be heard by Thursday.
Here are the details of the 11 lawsuits that were amended Tuesday to make the names of the plaintiffs known.
- March 30, 2020, at plaintiff’s home in texas
- 19 April 2020, at a spa in Houston
- 2 June 2020, at a spa in Houston
- 15 July 2020, in a house in Beverly Hills, California
- 2 August 2020, at a hotel in Houston
- 28 August 2020, by The Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa
- 24 September 2020, at a rented room in a salon in Houston
- Multiple meetings between 9 September 2020 and October 2020, at a spa in Houston
- Two sessions, 19 October and approximately 2 November 2020, at the plaintiff’s office in Houston
- 28 December 2020, at an office building in Houston
- 21 January 2021, in Houston
These 22 civil lawsuits currently being filed on the website of the Harris County District Clerk, filed between March 16 and April 5, allege sexual harassment and assault during the past year during massage appointments, including one earlier in March.
The allegations range from refusing to cover genitals to women having to give him oral sex.
In addition to the civil lawsuits, Houston Police Department released a statement on Friday (April 2) in which it is said that someone submitted a report on Watson.