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New lawsuit reveals Deshaun Watson offered $100,000 to settle with each plaintiff

20200517_134556by:Justin Rudolph06/03/22
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson attempted to resolve the multitude of civil suits filed against him for sexual misconduct last season. According to a recent report, Watson offered $100,000 to each plaintiff. This was in an effort to settle the then 22 lawsuits at once he was facing at that time. The number of cases the former Clemson Tigers quarterback is facing increased to 23 on Tuesday, which is where the attempted settlement was revealed.

The settlement offer was mentioned in a notion in the most recent civil suit. On the second page of the 11-page lengthy lawsuit is where you can find the notion of Watson’s settlement offer to the other 22 plaintiffs.

“We now know that Deshaun Watson offered each Plaintiff $100,000 to settle their cases, but not all would accept that amount, due to the aggressive nondisclosure agreement [NDA] that Watson’s team proposed.”

Watson’s legal team made the offer at some point in October before the NFL trade deadline. Some speculate that this agreement was written up in order to help facilitate a trade to the Miami Dolphins, who were aggressively pursuing the quarterback when he was with the Houston Texans. However, it appears that the NDA agreement, whether it be the language within or the agreement itself, did not sit well with a handful of the parties involved. And because it was a request of the Dolphins, who wanted a settlement with all 22 women before making the trade, that ultimately blew up the trade talks between the two teams. Watson was close to an agreement as 18 of the 22 women agreed to the settlement at the time.

Deshaun Watson facing new lawsuit after HBO show

“Another lawsuit has been filed against Deshaun Watson,” explained Barshop. “There are now 23 active civil lawsuits filed against the quarterback. According to the petition, the plaintiff ‘changed her mind about filing a lawsuit after watching the HBO Real Sports piece’. That pirced aired last Tuesday.”

The episode in question featured an interview with Ashley Solis, a massage therapist who is one of the now-23 women who have lawsuits filed against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for sexual misconduct. In her interview, she provided more harrowing details about their encounter, including the ominous words Watson said to her as he left her Houston area home.

“I know you have a career to protect,” Solis claims Watson said. “I know you don’t want anyone messing with it just like I don’t want anyone messing with mine.”

Solis said she took that as a threat and it caused her to feel frightened. A previous report from USA Today claimed that she was crying as Watson left. And that is what prompted him to send this text message in response:

“Sorry about you feeling uncomfortable,” he wrote, according to a screenshot of it previously posted by Solis’ lawyers. “Never were the intentions. Lmk if you want to work in the future. My apologies.”

Solis’ story appears to have reached at least one more person who claims the quarterback acted inappropriately with them. Her petition brings the total number of accusers with open cases against Watson to 23. Watson and his legal team released a video statement prior to the episode’s debut. In the video, they denounce the claims that Watson used any force or criminal activity.