The first woman who filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against Deshaun Watson came forward in a Tuesday press conference, sharing her name for the first time, TMZ reports.
Ashley Solis said that Watson, quarterback for the Houston Texans, acted inappropriately during a massage therapy session in March 2020, and she filed a lawsuit under the alias Jane Doe #1 out of fear of backlash. Alongside attorney Tony Buzbee in downtown Houston, she told reporters that she’s “not afraid anymore.”
“I replay the incident over and over in my head as if I’m trying to wake up for some horrible nightmare – only that nightmare is real,” Solis said.
Buzbee also revealed the name of another woman accusing Watson of sexual misconduct, Lauren Baxley, who wrote a letter to the football player to be read aloud at the conference.
“Every boundary, from professional and therapeutic to sexual and degrading, you crossed or attempted to cross,” Baxley wrote.
Later in the day Watson’s attorney Rusty Hardin released a statement addressing the press conference, which you can read in full below. Hardin alleges that “Mr. Buzbee sought $100,000 in hush money on behalf of Ms. Solis to quietly settle the allegations the month before he filed” despite saying the case “isn’t about money.”
Watson has previously denied all allegations, and issued a statement from 18 massage therapists who say he did not put them in uncomfortable situations.
Solis is the only woman to reveal her identity publicly, as 22 women have lawsuits against Watson and are using an alias. The Houston Police Department has opened an investigation but no charges have been filed.
