On Tuesday, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson conducted his first press conference since March 25. Thereafter, attorney Tony Buzbee issued his latest press release.
Near the bottom of the one-paragraph commentary resides an ominous remark regarding the possibility of additional lawsuits being filed against Watson. Currently, 24 are pending and two more are expected.
“We were sent the video of the Watson press conference,” Buzbee said, via Jake Trotter of ESPN.com. “We appreciate the Cleveland market and its fervent support with regard to its new quarterback, Deshaun Watson. But: given the volume of the credible cases filed, the lead detective’s sworn testimony, the undisputed facts, and the heartbreak, pain, and havoc Watson has caused, we think it would be appropriate to see Deshaun Watson express some regret or remorse in the way he treated these women, some of which have sued and many others haven’t, yet. Attending some sort of counseling would be at least some step forward. We have nothing else to say on the subject.”
How many is “many”? That won’t be known until the final statute of limitations passes on the last massage Watson received. That’s two years from the date on which the most person who gave Watson the most recent massage could claim that he crossed the line. Presumably, this means lawsuits could be filed up until the two-year anniversary of the filing of the first lawsuit -- assuming that upon learning of the first lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions that Watson stopped arranging private massages via social media.
Thus, the window will be open until the middle of March 2023. Only then will we know how many is “many,” and how many more than 26 women will sue Watson for allegedly engaging in inappropriate conduct during a massage session.