Deshaun Watson’s $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns is “another devastating blow to survivors,” according to one of the 22 women suing the NFL quarterback over allegations of sexual assault and harassment.
That accuser, Lauren Baxley, wrote an open letter about Watson for The Daily Beast after two Texas grand juries earlier this month refused to indict the three-time Pro Bowler. She is one of six women filing the doomed lawsuits against Watson, who is still facing lawsuits from his 22 accusers.
“…we shared the hope that he would be stopped — that somehow he would not be enabled or encouraged to hurt more women in the way he hurt us,” wrote Baxley, who has been identified by name but since his lawsuit Watson was not publicly pictured last year.’
The 22 lawsuits allege Watson forced two women to perform oral sex on him, ejaculated on three women and forcefully kissed another, while 18 women say he touched her with his penis during the massages.
Watson has denied the allegations made by the women, most of whom, like Baxley, worked for him as massage therapists.
In particular, Baxley criticized the prosecution’s decision to seek a grand jury indictment for Watson rather than directly indict him.
“Prosecutors led me to believe that they needed grand jury approval to charge Watson with indecent assault, which is a misdemeanor,” Baxley wrote. “It wasn’t, and they let us down.”
Deshaun Watson’s $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns is “another devastating blow to survivors” of abuse, according to Lauren Baxley, one of 22 women suing the NFL quarterback over allegations of sexual assault and harassment
Lauren Baxley, who has been identified by name but not publicly pictured since the lawsuit against Watson last year, was among the accusers who filed criminal charges against him in Harris County, Texas. These women appeared in a Houston court March 11 (pictured) when it was announced that a grand jury would not indict Watson with misdemeanor assault or indecent assault
The Browns acquired Watson from the Houston Texans for three first-round picks after the first of two grand jury verdicts in Harris County, Texas on March 11. Watson agreed to waive his no-trade clause to ease the deal, but the Browns rewarded him with the five-year, $230 million contract — the largest fully guaranteed contract in NFL history.
Baxley wrote that the Harris County grand jury decision, which includes Houston, along with Watson’s new contract with the Browns, opened “a floodgate of abuse, defamation and defamation” against his accusers.
“The worst misogynists came out and declared no-bills evidence that we were ‘prostitutes’ all along,” she wrote, adding that she and the other plaintiffs are now regularly accused of being sex workers, the one look for payday.
“As someone who has made a faithful effort to maintain the highest level of professionalism, and as someone who – in my entire career – has never experienced the kind of behavior that Watson exhibited, comments like these are not just annoying and untrue, they are completely changing the guilt from a serial predator to ignorant and unwilling women,” she wrote.
Baxley appeared to be alluding to LeBron James, an Akron, Ohio native, who penned an emoji-laden tweet (pictured) celebrating the Browns’ acquisition of Watson on March 18, which in one breath addressed the struggles of marginalized black women attention and the next praising the grandeur of a man who has abused dozens of them,” she wrote
Baxley stressed that “failure to charge or convict a crime does not constitute innocence” and that testimonies from Watson’s prosecutors “were deemed “highly credible” by prosecutors and detectives”.
She also seemed to allude to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who hails from Akron, Ohio, and penned an emoji-laden tweet celebrating the Browns’ March 18 acquisition of Watson.
“I would include a particular NBA player along with the other disappointing excuses of men raising awareness of the struggles of marginalized black women in one breath and praising the uplifting of a man who has abused dozens of them in the next,” she wrote .
Watson held his inaugural press conference with the Browns last week and said he “never assaulted, disrespected or harassed any woman.”
Brown general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski both said they understood the criticism of Watson’s acquisition and contract. But they insisted they were confident in “Deshaun the Person” after a five-month team-funded investigation that began last fall when Watson was benched in Houston following the allegations.
Brown general manager Andrew Berry (left) and head coach Kevin Stefanski (right) both said they understood the criticism of Watson’s acquisition and contract. But they insisted they were confident in “Deshaun the Person” after a five-month team-funded investigation that began last fall when Watson was benched in Houston following the allegations
On March 25, Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said they felt “comfortable” with Watson after speaking with him and investigators, who the quarterback’s accusers, on the advice of the team attorney, did not contact.
Baxley addressed the Haslam’s statements in her open letter to the Daily Beast.
“The Browns’ owner insisted they ‘take it easy’ meeting Deshaun Watson before they landed him his record deal,” she wrote. “I admit Deshaun Watson also made sure I was comfortable before trapping and attacking me in a massage session which he previously promised would be ‘professional’ and ‘non-sexual.’ That’s what ambush predators do. They disguise themselves as something they are not.
“Unless anyone insists that Deshaun Watson seek professional help for his addiction now, I fear he will continue on this path of destruction for the rest of his life,” Baxley continued. “The sworn reports of abuse and assault only scratch the surface of his brokenness. For the sake of women everywhere, I really hope he finds a way to stop it.’