HOUSTON — As the 20th and 21st civil suits against Deshaun Watson became public on Wednesday, the attorney representing the Houston Texans quarterback countered with a lengthy release of on-the-record statements from 18 female masseuses who claim they had only positive business interactions with Watson.
In terms of strategy, it’s the most significant public response to date from Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, countering the layered, sexually driven narrative that has been put forth in legal filings by opposing counsel Tony Buzbee. Buzbee represents the 21 women behind the pending lawsuits, while another woman, who is represented by Houston civil rights attorney UA Lewis, also provided Sports Illustrated with a firsthand account of a massage encounter with Watson which she felt he attempted to sexualize.