Deshaun Watson’s legal troubles continue to mount.
On Friday night, the Houston Police Department announced they had launched investigation into the Texans QB after a complainant filed a criminal report. Authorities did not share details of the investigation, including what crime Watson is accused of committing.
“As with any allegation, the Houston Police Department is now conducting an investigation and will not comment further during the investigative process,” the department wrote in a statement.
News of the investigation comes just weeks after multiple women accused Watson of sexual misconduct. As of Friday, 21 women were suing the athlete for alleged sexual assault and inappropriate behavior. It’s unclear if Friday’s complaint was filed by one of the plaintiffs in the civil suit.
Many of the accusers are massage therapists and/or wellness professionals who claim Watson sexually assaulted or harassed them during sessions over the past year. One of the plaintiffs claimed Watson “coerced her to move her mouth toward his penis” and then forced her to perform oral sex on him. He is also accused of exposing himself to women, groping them during massage appointments, and later reaching out to them “in an attempt to settle.” Legal documents also allege Watson had deleted Instagram messages he had sent to his accusers.
Watson, who has been Houston’s QB for four seasons, has denied the allegations.
“As a result of a social media post by a publicity-seeking plaintiff’s lawyer, I recently became aware of a lawsuit that has apparently been filed against me,” he wrote in a March 16 statement posted to Twitter. “I have not yet seen the complaint, but I know this: I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect. The plaintiff’s lawyer claims that this isn’t about money, but before filing the suit he made a baseless six-figure settlement demand, which I quickly rejected. Unlike him, this isn’t about money for me—it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that.”
The NFL launched an investigation into the allegations back in March. The Texans have yet to comment on the criminal complaint against Watson.
