Cleveland Browns' Deshaun watson must address past with massage therapists, judge rules

HOUSTON — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson must say whether he had sex with 18 massage therapists who supported him last year following criminal complaints from 22 other women, a judge in Texas ruled Tuesday.

USA Today reported that Watson has 30 days to comply. He previously would not address his past with the therapists. Watson also has to provide other information about his massage history since 2019, including any language in his contract with the Texans about massages.

One of the NFL's top quarterbacks, Watson was traded last month from Houston to Cleveland.

He has been accused by 22 women of sexual misconduct during therapy sessions, many of which he arranged by contacting the therapists on social media in 2020 and 2021.

To this point, two grand juries have declined to indict Watson on 10 criminal complaints filed to Houston police. He still faces the civil suits and has been giving depositions on those for several weeks.

As part of those civil lawsuits, the women's attorneys want Watson to answer written «requests for admission» about whether he had sex with the 18 therapists who backed him after the first lawsuits against him were filed in March 2021.

The plaintiffs' attorneys say the answers would demonstrate a pattern and motives for setting up the massages.

At Tuesday's hearing, Harris County District Court Judge Rabeea Sultan Collier ruled in the plaintiff's favor, USA Today said. Watson's attorney asked for the reasoning but Collier didn't explain.

«The objection is overruled,» the judge said in response. «Thank you.»

Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler, did not play last season after asking the Texans to trade him. When the first grand jury chose not to indict Watson, it triggered a bidding war by