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CLEVELAND (WJW) – A Houston attorney representing 22 women who have accused Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and harassment, say no one from the Cleveland Browns reached out to him prior to acquiring the quarterback.

Watson is facing lawsuits from 22 women, but he is facing no criminal charges. A grand jury chose not to indict him on any charges.

The women, mostly massage therapists, accuse the star athlete of sexual misconduct or sexual assault.

“No one from the Browns organization reached out to me or my clients,” Attorney Tony Buzbee told I-Team reporters Peggy Gallek and Ed Gallek.

Watson has denied any wrongdoing.

Despite the attorney saying he never spoke to anyone from the Browns organization about the matter, Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam stand by the team’s decision and released a statement on Sunday:

“We spent a tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating the opportunity to trade for Deshaun Watson. We are acutely aware and empathic to the highly personal sentiments expressed about this decision. Our team’s comprehensive evaluation process was of utmost importance due to the sensitive nature of his situation and the complex factors involved. We also understand there are still some legal proceedings that are ongoing and we will respect due process.

It is pivotal that we, along with Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski, meet with Deshaun to have a straightforward dialogue, discuss our priorities and hear directly from him on how he wants to approach his career on and off the field. He was humble, sincere and candid. In our conversations, Deshaun detailed his commitment to leading our team; he understands and embraces the hard work needed to build his name both in the community and on the field.

Those in-depth conversations, the extensive evaluation process, his dedication to being a great teammate and devotion to helping others within the NFL, within the community and through his charitable initiatives provided the foundation for us to pursue Deshaun. We are confident in Deshaun and excited about moving forward with him as our quarterback and supporting his genuine and determined efforts.”