CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Attorneys working on behalf of Deshaun Watson filed a motion this week for sanctions against the attorneys who filed the most recent lawsuit against the Browns quarterback.
In the filing submitted to Harris County Court Monday, Watson’s lawyers cited “overwhelming evidence contradicting her claim of assault” and called the latest lawsuit a “sham.”
Watson’s lawyers claim the lawsuit was filed “in bad faith to publicly harass and embarrass Mr. Watson.”
Ikea Roberts modified her lawsuit to include her name at the direction of the court after the original filing was made using the pseudonym “Jane Doe.”
In the civil complaint filed by attorney Anissah M. Nguyen of Universal Law Group earlier this month on behalf of Roberts, Roberts alleged that Watson pressured her into massaging his “private area,” suggested she “get on top,” and Watson “was able to pressure her into oral sex” during a massage therapy session that took place on December 18, 2020.
Watson’s attorney’s submitted 10 pages of screenshots of text and direct messages – nearly 40 messages in total – over a seven-month period from Roberts to Watson after the appointment in question, which went unanswered by Watson, that show Roberts pursued further contact with Watson.
One of the direct messages Roberts sent to Watson was sexually suggestive.
The motion also outlined that Roberts’ claims were previously known.
“Her allegations were considered—and ultimately rejected—by police, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and a Harris County Grand Jury. Likewise, NFL investigators were fully aware of Ms. Roberts’ allegations and chose not to base their findings on any of her uncredible contentions.”
Watson’s lawyers also objected to interviews Nguyen and the Universal Law Group did with media outlets after the lawsuit was filed.
“After filing suit, ULG promptly engaged in numerous interviews with the media falsely accusing Mr. Watson of assaulting Ms. Roberts and released public statements implying that Ms. Roberts was previously unknown to those investigating the claims against Mr. Watson. Neither is true.”
Watson is asking the court to sanction Universal Law Group at least $5,000 for having to incur additional expenses and lawyer fees to defend himself against Roberts’ claim.
Watson is currently serving an 11-game suspension following a settlement with the NFL that also included a $5 million fine stemming from previous allegations of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions.
Watson, who returned to the Browns facility on October 10, is eligible to begin practicing November 14 and is scheduled for reinstatement November 28 making him eligible to start at Houston December 4.
The NFL has said that Roberts’ lawsuit does not affect the timeline for Watson to return but the league is monitoring any future developments involving Watson.
Watson settled 23 previous lawsuits. One other lawsuit is active and is scheduled to go to trial next spring. Another suit was dropped after the court ordered the Plaintiffs to use their real names in court filings earlier this year.
