One of Deshaun Watson’s accusers tells HBO ‘it’s a bold-faced lie’ he never did anything wrong; lawyers maintain his innocence

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Two of Deshaun Watson’s accusers obtained emotional throughout interviews Tuesday evening with Soledad O’Brien on HBO’s Actual Sports activities with Bryant Gumbel, and one said it’s patently false that he did nothing flawed throughout his therapeutic massage appointments.

Watson, 26, declined HBO’s request to be interviewed for the piece due to his pending NFL investigation, however one in all his attorneys, Leah Graham, steadfastly maintained his innocence to O’Brien, asking “what proof is there of any guilt?’’

The interviews aired on the identical day that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell revealed in the course of the closing press convention at a league assembly in Atlanta that the NFL is near wrapping up its assessment of the allegations towards Watson and turning the matter over to unbiased self-discipline officer Sue L. Robinson, the previous U.S. District Decide, to determine whether or not or to not positive or droop him or each underneath phrases of the Private Conduct Coverage.

“I can’t provide you with a timeline,’’ Goodell informed reporters in a press convention. “I feel we’re nearing the tip of the investigative interval after which sooner or later this might be dealt with by our disciplinary officer. And that can occur shortly. After which we’ll see the place that comes out.’’

The 2 accusers interviewed by O’Brien, Ashley Solis and Kyla Hayes, are clearly hoping the NFL brings down the hammer on Watson. They’re among the many 22 therapeutic massage therapists — all represented by lawyer Tony Buzbee — who’ve filed civil fits towards Watson for sexual misconduct throughout appointments, and really feel they’re not being heard or believed.

However Watson’s attorneys really feel the identical manner about him all through this course of.

In truth, Watson’s lead counsel Rusty Hardin informed cleveland.com on Friday that his consumer was doomed within the courtroom of public opinion from the beginning as a result of sexual misconduct is such a hot-button social difficulty and nobody gave him an opportunity.

Hardin additionally informed 92.3 The Fan throughout Tuesday that in such conditions “the presumption of innocence goes out the window, and the allegation is handled as the reality of the matter. And that’s been the field Deshaun’s been in from the very starting. The man they described just isn’t the man we all know. And but, he hasn’t been given the advantage of the doubt and he ought to.’’

However Solis and Hayes, each coming to tears throughout their interviews, painted a compelling image for O’Brien, as Hardin knew they might.

“He finally ends up exposing himself (in the course of the therapeutic massage) and I hurried up and lined him with the towel and he stated, ‘Oh you don’t have to fret concerning the towel,’” Solis informed O’Brien. “I stated, ‘Sure I do.’ He requested that I work on his stomach. However the second I went above his navel, he informed me didn’t need me to work there. He informed me he needed me to work decrease. He simply stored directing me to go decrease and, ‘don’t be scared, you’ll be able to go in there.’

Solis, the primary therapist to file a swimsuit, defined that “I simply began actually freezing up at this level. A wave simply took over my physique. I felt so scorching. I used to be sweating. It was getting an increasing number of clear that this was not what I signed up for, this isn’t what I assumed the session was going to be.

“As I’m working, he intentionally grabs himself and put his penis on my hand and I pulled my hand away immediately and I began crying and I informed him that I’m completed,’’ Solis stated. “I don’t need to do that anymore.’’

Solis stated that after she informed Watson she was completed with the session, she felt intimidated.

“He stated ‘I do know you will have a profession to guard.’ And ‘I do know you don’t need anybody messing with it similar to I don’t need anybody messing with mine,’” she stated. “To me, that’s when that’s after I obtained actually scared…as a result of that gave the impression of a menace to me.’’

Solis was upset by Watson’s authorized crew’s insistence that any sexual contact throughout appointments was consensual. In depositions, Watson has admitted to having intercourse with three of the plaintiffs, however that it was consensual.

“I’m not a intercourse employee,’’ Solis stated. “I’m a therapeutic massage therapist. For them to say that something was consensual, both they don’t notice or they don’t care concerning the hazard that places me in. As a result of that provides the message to people who therapeutic massage therapists do these sort of issues.”

Solis additionally believes that Watson’s celebrated blockbuster commerce to the Browns has emboldened him.

“All people who’s so comfy with working with him sooner or later can also be comfy with what he’s completed and what he doubtlessly will do,’’ she stated.

Because the lawsuits rolled in, Solis stated she felt “unhappy that anyone needed to to really feel the way in which that I did after I was within the room as a result of it’s so scary.’’

As for why two separate grand juries in Texas did not indict Watson on legal prices, Solis stated “I’ve completely no thought. I don’t see how any of these human beings may have sat there in entrance of me and suppose what he did was okay.

Hayes cried in the course of the interview when O’Brien performed a clip of Watson denying any wrongdoing throughout his introductory Browns’ press convention in March, throughout which he said that he by no means disrespected or assaulted a girl.

“It’s rather a lot,’’ she stated. “It’s sort of a relentless reminder of what occurred. And for him to say he’s by no means did something to a girl, it’s a bold-faced lie.”

Hayes defended remaining involved with Watson after the alleged misconduct.

“I wasn’t certain what he was able to,’’ she stated. “He may have bodily assaulted me. He may have bashed my enterprise. So I needed to defend myself and my enterprise. That’s the way in which I noticed match. Did I ever see him once more after that? No. Did I give him the runaround? Sure.”

Hayes defined that Watson “needed me to kinda make a V movement in his pelvic space. So go throughout his abdomen to his thighs, again to his abdomen. I simply stored massaging and did what he requested till his penis stored touching me repeatedly as I did it. He was shifting his penis backwards and forwards as my arms moved as nicely.’’

She stated he deliberately brought about his penis to the touch her arms.

“Sooner or later, he did ejaculate,” Hayes stated. “That was mortifying and embarrassing and disgusting.”

Each ladies and Buzbee, who had been dismayed that Watson acquired an NFL-record, totally assured $230 million contract by the Browns after they acquired him in a commerce with the Texans. The Browns, who beat out 4 groups for Watson, gave up six draft picks, together with three first-rounders, for him and a sixth-rounder.

“It’s similar to a giant ‘screw you,’” Solis stated. “That’s what it seems like. That we don’t care. He can run and throw, and that’s what we care about.’’

Hayes stated, “It was sick to me. I felt like he’s being rewarded for dangerous habits.’’

Buzbee stated, “I don’t suppose the crew cares about what Deshaun Watson could have completed in a therapeutic massage session. And based mostly on my private expertise with the NFL, I don’t suppose they care both.’’

O’Brien requested Graham, who spent about eight minutes on a video name with O’Brien on Monday morning after Watson’s crew initially declined to be interviewed, why the general public would consider one man vs. 22 ladies.

“It’s 22 ladies,’’ Graham stated. “It’s one lawyer. There’s just one lawyer who was keen to take these circumstances. And as we all know from Ashley Solis’ deposition, Mr. Buzbee was not the primary, in all probability not the second or third lawyer she went to, however he was the one one to take her case. Why? Not as a result of it had advantage, however as a result of he would use these circumstances to extend his social media following and fairly frankly to get on reveals like this one.’’

O’Brien requested Graham about Watson having intercourse with three of the therapeutic massage therapists when he stated he was looking for nothing aside from skilled providers.

“Properly, in each therapeutic massage, I’ll let you know he did go, intending only for knowledgeable therapeutic massage, and solely these three situations the place sexual conduct occurred — consensual sexual exercise — it occurred after the therapeutic massage session had ended,” Graham stated. “And Mr. Watson has testified and is insistent that that sexual exercise was initiated by the plaintiff in each single occasion.’’

O’Brien requested Graham if Watson nonetheless has no regrets.

“As he testified in his depositions final week, sure, he has no regrets as a result of he did nothing flawed,’’ Graham stated. “He did nothing flawed in these massages. And though — to your first query, “How can he be harmless?” I feel the actual query is, ‘What proof is there of any guilt?’ “

Hardin, who made the media rounds prematurely of the HBO piece, launched a video shortly beforehand.

“No person actually needed to deal a lot with the truth that two completely different grand juries discovered there have been no legal occasions,’’ he stated. “The grand jury decides possible trigger, is there any foundation for believing there was against the law dedicated, whether or not it’s a felony or a misdemeanor. And each of these grand juries discovered no possible trigger to consider any crime in any respect was dedicated.

“That ought to have been given nice sway as a result of initially there have been allegations he used power towards these ladies. Seems solely three of the 22 lawsuits contain any allegation of power after which when subjected to investigation by regulation enforcement, and presentation to a grand jury, it was discovered no power was used. There was no indication of against the law involving any kind of power.

“As we’ve stated, as Deshaun has insisted underneath oath, every of these three events had been consensual and instituted by the ladies. However within the different … 19 circumstances there was no sexual exercise. And Deshaun has already given 9 depositions – 11 now – and sworn underneath oath that there was no sexual exercise besides these three incidents, they usually had been consensual.’’

Hardin informed Cleveland.com on Friday that they gained’t revisit the notion of settling the civil fits till the NFL decides on his self-discipline.

In the meantime, Watson is collaborating totally in Browns Organized Staff Actions, that are underway at crew headquarters in Berea.

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