NFL: Deshaun Watson reportedly deleted Instagram messages, tried to settle with accusers
The spotlight continues to be on Houston Texans' QB Deshaun Watson, as a total of 19 lawsuits have been filed against him alleging sexual assault and misconduct by women who performed massages on Watson.
Now, lawyer Tony Buzbee, who has filed all the lawsuits on behalf of the accusers, states that Watson deleted Instagram messages with the women he was in contact with and tried to settle with several of them.
NFL: Legal team denies any claim of Deshaun Watson trying to settle
Rusty Hardin, the lawyer representing the 25-year-old QB, has explicitly stated that Watson has not deleted any Instagram messages related to the investigation, nor has he contacted any of the accusers for a settlement.
Watson had tweeted out prior to the first lawsuit being filed that he whadreached out for a six-figure settlement, which Watson had rejected.
Buzbee will reportedly have 20 lawsuits against Watson through this coming week, but Hardin and his team have reportedly uncovered one lawsuit as a false accusation. He stated that they have "strong evidence" that "at least one" lawsuit is false against Watson and that they would question the rest of the lawsuits because of this.
Deshaun Watson's legal team has found it hard to conduct its investigation claims as Buzbee has yet to file any evidence with the Houston Police Department. He has also not allowed Hardin to look into the accusers themselves, hindering the continuation of the investigation. Buzbee had stated he would submit evidence when the first lawsuit came out, but he has yet to do so, with some social media users questioning the legitimacy of Buzbee and the lawsuits.
Either way, Watson will have a hard time getting out of Houston until these lawsuits are settled or dismissed. Several teams have still expressed interest in trading for Deshaun Watson and although his trade value has likely not gone down much, it could make him want to leave even more.