CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has uncovered new questions about the latest woman to sue Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, the 25th woman suing him for sexual misconduct.
We unraveled some of the mystery behind the woman at the heart of a lawsuit.
An attorney filed the case and kept the name of the woman secret. Then, Watson’s lawyers got a court order to make the name public.
Now, the I-Team has learned police have known about this woman for a long time.
We’ve now discovered more than her attorney revealed to us.
Last week, we asked attorney Anissa Nguyen if her client had filed a police report, spoken to NFL investigators, or testified before a grand jury. Nguyen responded, “I can’t comment on that, right now.”
But, the I-Team went back through what a Houston police detective said during a court deposition. The detective said she thought Watson should face criminal charges. But, she also had doubts about getting an indictment on 2 cases, including the woman behind the new lawsuit just filed.
A transcript of the deposition shows a lawyer asking, “…he should have been charged in all of the cases?” The detective answered, “I wouldn’t say all of them. Two of them, in particular, I did not feel strongly would ever get a charge.”
Again, the detective mentioned the woman who just now has filed suit against Deshaun Watson. Pointing out, “She came to us I didn’t think that they would get a true bill.” A true bill is an indictment from a grand jury.
In August, the league suspended Deshaun Watson for 11 games for violating the NFL personal conduct policy.
That day, at a news conference, Watson said, “Always said, I never assaulted anyone or disrespected anyone, and I’ll continue to stand on that.”
In the new lawsuit, the woman claims she met Watson in Houston back in 2020 to give him a massage, and he pressured her into sex.
The other accusers all said they’d also met Watson to give a massage. All but one of the other lawsuits have been settled.
The league had no comment for this story. We’ve also reached out to Watson’s attorneys but have not yet received a response.
Meantime, the only reports we’ve ever received from Houston police about Deshaun Watson have been heavily blacked out.
The woman behind the new lawsuit is not backing down.
Anissa Nguyen said, “At the end of the day, my client wants her day in court.”
Watson can now rejoin the Browns at their complex for meetings, but he cannot practice or play yet due to his suspension.
He’s scheduled to play his first game on Dec. 4 in Houston.
