The NFL has launched an investigation into the latest sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed in a statement to Cleveland.com on Tuesday (September 10).

On Monday (September 9), TMZ Sports reported that Watson, 28, who was previously accused of similar allegations made by more than 20 other women, was now facing a new sexual assault lawsuit over an incident that took place during his tenure with the Houston Texans four years ago. McCarthy confirmed that the Commissioner's Exempt list is not under consideration as “no formal charges and the league’s review has just begun" in his statement to Cleveland.com.

The Browns also shared a statement in response to the reported lawsuit claiming the franchise "will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL’s guidelines on this matter.”

The plaintiff, identified as 'Jane Doe,' a single mother, alleged that Watson sexually assaulted her during a date in 2020 that took place after several months of exchanging texts. Doe claimed that Watson asked her to come to her apartment for dinner as he didn't want a public date.

The plaintiff claimed that Watson yelled at her for being unable to find her apartment, screaming he "doesn't have time for this." The quarterback eventually found the plaintiff's home and, after she finished getting ready in another room, claims she "shockingly found" him stripped down naked and lying facedown on her bed.

Doe claimed Watson then demanded she massage his butt, which left her "terrified" and she complied because he was "a much larger man" and was "still reeling from Watson's outburst and aggression on the phone." Watson then allegedly grabbed her, put her on the bed and sexually assaulted her for several minutes before she was ultimately able to grab "a heavy piece of decor for self-defense."

The plaintiff demanded Watson leave, at which point he "stormed out" of her apartment "enraged." Doe claimed she was initially afraid to report the incident due to potentially being "subjected to humiliation and personal attacks" given Watson's status as the Texans' Pro Bowl quarterback at the time, as well as years later given the way other accusers were "treated by Watson's defense team and the public."

Doe said she had privately attempted to resolve the matter with Watson but couldn't reach an agreement, which led to her decision to go public with the accusations. Attorney Tony Buzbee, who previously represented more than 20 women who made similar accusations against Watson, is representing the plaintiff and called the lawsuit "an extremely serious matter" in a statement to TMZ Sports.

"We intend to pursue this case with the same aggressiveness with which we pursued the others," Buzbee said. "We want a jury trial."

Mike McConnell

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