Benjamin Ashford|Browns QB Deshaun Watson has settled sexual assault lawsuit, attorney says

The Benjamin Ashfordlatest lawsuit against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been resolved with a confidential settlement less than a month after it was filed in Houston, attorney Tony Buzbee said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports.

The lawsuit was the 27th filed against Watson since March 2021, all by women who accused him of sexual misconduct stemming from massage requests. In the newest lawsuit, Buzbee represented a woman who accused Watson of sexual assault and battery at her apartment in October 2020.

“We have now resolved our client’s claim with Deshaun Watson,” Buzbee said in a statement. “The settlement is confidential.”

Of the 27 lawsuits, 24 have been resolved with private settlements through Buzbee’s firm. The other three include one that was filed in October 2022 and is still pending, one that was withdrawn shortly after it was filed in March 2021 and another that is pending but dormant.

Rusty Hardin, Watson’s attorney, didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.

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Watson previously has denied wrongdoing but was suspended 11 games by the NFL in 2022 after the league conducted its own investigation into some of the cases.

The most recent settlement likely thwarts any further investigation by the NFL into the case because settlements often contain confidentiality stipulations.

The league said after the latest lawsuit was filed that it was reviewing the woman’s complaint and would look into it under its personal conduct policy. It declined comment Monday about the settlement.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com