Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson faces 26th sexual misconduct lawsuit

Deshaun Watson, the suspended quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, is facing yet another sexual misconduct lawsuit.

This time, Watson has been hit with a civil lawsuit brought by a woman who alleges he pressured her into performing oral sex on him during a 2020 massage session, according to ESPN. That makes this the 26th lawsuit the quarterback has faced over alleged sexual misconduct during massage sessions.

This new lawsuit reportedly claims Watson "continually pressured" the woman into "massaging his private area," and after she refused to have sex with him, he "was able to pressure her into oral sex." The woman has "suffered from severe depression and anxiety" due to the incident, the suit also alleges.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"My client's experience with Deshaun Watson follows a series of disturbingly similar encounters reported by more than 20 women who have filed suit against the NFL superstar," the accuser's lawyer told ESPN. "Like so many others, my client spent nearly two years struggling to cope with the shame and trauma from all that he has stolen from her and the daily pain that has become her reality."

In August, the NFL suspended Watson for 11 games and fined him $5 million after a former federal judge appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association recommended a six-game suspension. Watson has not been criminally charged, and he denies the allegations. He previously settled 23 sexual misconduct lawsuits.