Watson’s recent legal status changed after a long-running series of civil matters that began when dozens of women alleged sexual misconduct by the quarterback during massage appointments. Court records show that two of the final lawsuits—brought by women who said Watson exposed himself, touched them with his genitals or kissed them without consent—were dismissed, leaving Watson without the remaining pending civil cases tied to those accusations.
The dismissed suits were part of “nearly 30” civil actions that the women filed in Texas beginning in 2021, when Watson was playing for the Houston Texans. The accusations in the litigation, according to the reporting, included allegations of unwanted kissing and touching during massage sessions, with some plaintiffs alleging forced oral sex and one alleging sexual assault.
One of the dismissals, according to attorney Tony Buzbee, involved a settlement. Buzbee, the lawyer for the woman who filed that case, said the matter had been settled and declined to comment further, citing confidentiality in the settlement agreement. The lawsuit’s complaint alleged that Watson touched the woman with his penis multiple times during the massage session.
The other dismissal involved a different woman’s suit in which her attorney, Anissah Nguyen, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nguyen’s client had accused Watson of pressuring her to perform oral sex during a massage.
Watson’s attorneys declined to comment. The quarterback has denied any wrongdoing, and the article notes that two Texas grand juries declined to indict him. One of Watson’s attorneys, Rusty Hardin, had previously described the allegations as “meritless,” and Watson was quoted saying, in a 2023 deposition, “I don’t remember or recall any sexual encounters with her.”
The dismissed lawsuits also followed litigation connected to the Houston Texans. The woman represented by Nguyen had also sued the Texans, alleging that Watson assaulted women with the help and resources of the team; that suit against the Texans was dismissed last week, the reporting said. A Texans spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The earlier litigation against the Texans had been resolved through settlements. In July 2022, 30 women who had accused the team of turning a blind eye to allegations against Watson settled their legal claims, according to the article. After the allegations surfaced, Watson was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and he was fined $5 million and required to undergo a mandatory evaluation before being reinstated.
David Ring, a California-based attorney who said he was not connected to the lawsuits, said it was not unusual for such cases to end in settlement rather than proceeding to trial. He said high-profile defendants often avoid cases playing out in public courtroom settings and that, in general, civil lawsuits are commonly resolved before trial.