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Deshaun Watson Accused of Improper Conduct by Massage Therapist in SI Interview
March 29, 2021
Amid 19 women filing civil lawsuits against Deshaun Watson alleging sexual assault and misconduct, another woman who has not taken legal action said the Houston Texans quarterback acted inappropriately during a massage appointment with her.
A Houston massage therapist referred to as "Mary" told Jenny Vrentas of Sports Illustrated about her experience with Watson in 2019.
She said the star player was naked, face-up for most of the 2.5-hour session after taking off the towel provided for him, something she said none of the more than 1,000 clients she'd seen in her career had done. She provided further details of Watson's inappropriate behavior:
"After 90 minutes, Watson asked to extend the session for another hour. She continued to work only on his quads, inner thighs and abdomen—the specific areas he requested. Watson developed an erection, she says, and also began clenching and slowly 'thrusting the air.' Mary at first wondered whether his movements were a pain response to her deep-tissue work, so she asked whether he was O.K. She says he replied that he was fine and stopped thrusting for a short time.
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"'There was one point that he did tell me that I could move [his penis] if I needed to, and I just completely ignored him.' She took this as a suggestion to touch his exposed penis."
Mary said she later saw "different fluids on his stomach" and believes it was pre-ejaculate.
She said he began thrusting his pelvis again toward the end of the session until she told him to "calm down."
Watson messaged the therapist multiple times after the session to set up another appointment, but she refused. The messages were reviewed by Sports Illustrated. She also said she told both the colleague who referred Watson to her and a family member about what happened. The family member confirmed Mary's story to Vrentas.
Though she is currently unsure about whether to take legal action, Mary said the prospect of Watson being traded encouraged her to come forward.
"The one thing I keep thinking about is, he's about to get traded to another place," she said. "What if he goes to Atlanta or California or anywhere else? He would have a whole new community of massage therapists to target."
She also said in the last few months she has warned other massage therapists in the area about Watson's behavior.
Watson is not currently facing any criminal charges but attorney Tony Buzbee has filed lawsuits on behalf of 19 different women alleging sexual assault and misconduct by the 25-year-old during massage appointments, per Tom Schad of USA Today.