Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has been sued by four more women who accuse him of sexual assault and harassments, bringing the total number of civil suits filed within the past week against Watson to seven.
The most recent lawsuits were filed Thursday night, hours after the NFL said it was investigating earlier allegations by three massage therapists who said the quarterback sexually assaulted them during massages.
Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee, who is representing all seven of the women who have filed suits against Watson, held a news conference Friday in which he told reporters he expects to file five additional lawsuits against Watson similar in nature to the seven previous ones. Buzbee also said he has spoken to 10 other women about Watson's conduct.
Buzbee also said that one of the women accusing Watson of misconduct was put in touch with the quarterback by a member of the Texans.
The claims in the four new suits, which were filed in a Harris County, Texas court, mirror those in the three earlier cases. Each woman who sued Thursday worked in a spa or giving massages and claims that Watson exposed himself, touched them with his genitals or kissed them against their will.
None of the seven women, who have sued separately, are identified by name in the lawsuits. They are each seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as court costs.
Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, released the following statement Friday afternoon:
"I'm extremely proud to represent Deshaun Watson and wholly stand behind him against what we believe are meritless allegations," Hardin said. "However, we'll wait to comment in detail until we've completed our review of the numerous, evolving allegations from Mr. Buzbee. We will respond next week and ask you to keep an open mind until we do so."
Buzbee told reporters he also intends to put together a packet of information regarding these cases to present to local authorities.
"That's going to be our next step," Buzbee said.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office told NFL.com on Friday that it currently does not have any investigations involving Watson. The Houston Police Department also told NFL.com that there is not currently an investigation involving Watson.
Watson, 25, has broadly denied that he acted inappropriately and said in a Tuesday statement that he looks forward to clearing his name.
Watson's agent, David Mulugheta, posted a statement earlier Friday on Twitter following news of the four new civil complaints.
"Sexual assault is real. Victims should be heard, offenders prosecuted," Mulugheta wrote. "Individuals fabricate stories in pursuit of financial gain often. Their victims should be heard, and those offenders also prosecuted. I simply hope we keep this same energy with the truth."
The Texans said in a Thursday statement that they will cooperate with the league during its investigation.
"The NFL informed us today that they will conduct an investigation into the allegations made in the civil lawsuits filed against Deshaun Watson," the team said. "We will stay in close contact with the league as they do.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
