Deshaun Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, is walking back comments he made during a recent radio interview, in which he said “happy endings” are not necessarily illegal. Clarifying the viral quote, Hardin explained in a statement issued afterward that he was speaking “hypothetically” and “not describing Deshaun’s case.”
Hardin began his statement by reaffirming his client’s innocence.
“Deshaun Watson did nothing wrong,” Hardin said. “And as two grand juries have made clear, Deshaun did nothing illegal. Deshaun has always acknowledged consensual sexual activity with three of the plaintiff massage therapists after massages. And Deshaun has repeatedly sworn under oath that he did not force any of his accusers to have sexual contact.”
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He continued: “On a Houston radio show interview today, I mentioned that a massage that has a ‘happy ending’ is not illegal, meaning it is not illegal for someone to have consensual sex with a therapist after a massage unless the sex is for pay. Deshaun did not pay anyone for sex. I was using the term hypothetically and not describing Deshaun’s case. I have reiterated to others it’s not OK to do anything that a woman does not agree to do. These women have alleged assault in their pleadings. I was speaking in a hypothetical situation. If there is a consensual sexual encounter after a massage, that is not a crime nor the basis for a civil lawsuit. I was not talking about what Deshaun did or did not do or expected or did not expect.”
Watson, who recently joined the Cleveland Browns, is facing 23 sexual misconduct lawsuits after another woman threw her name into the ring, last week. The women all allege that Watson took things too far when attempting to transition a normal massage into a sexual encounter. The latest woman to join in the lawsuits claims that Watson offered the victims each $100,000 to drop their accusations.
With the civil lawsuits still ongoing, it’s unclear what punishment Watson will face from the NFL. The Browns’ first regular-season game is scheduled for September 11th against the Carolina Panthers.
Check out Hardin’s controversial comments below.
[Via]