Deshaun Watson can take all the Browns crew to Abu freaking Dhabi for all we care — it’s not going to erase the 22 ongoing sexual misconduct and assault instances that he’s nonetheless going through. Whether or not the announcement that he was treating his new offense to a Bahamas journey was an try at garnering an oz. of optimistic press or only a strategy to win over new teammates able to be purchased out and look previous his plethora of sins, nobody goes to overlook the allegations — and the remainder of the Browns shouldn’t be contributing to normalizing his presence on a roster.
The newest information within the pre-trial depositions (once more, of the 22 civil trials that Watson is going through down proper now) is that he admitted that one of many plaintiffs, Ashley Solis, cried after a therapeutic massage remedy session, per USA TODAY. The primary of the therapists to go public, at huge private danger, Solis claimed that Watson touched her together with his penis throughout their session. After the session, he texted her: “Sorry about you feeling uncomfortable. By no means had been the intentions. Lmk if you wish to work sooner or later. My apologies.”
As anticipated, Watson is claiming that he has no concept why she was “teary-eyed.” He’s additionally reportedly assembly with the NFL this week to find out whether or not he’ll face suspension for breaking the league’s code of conduct. Rumors on Twitter are floating round, with three-, four-, or six-week suspension potentialities getting thrown on the market, however the actuality of the scenario is that nobody actually is aware of what his suspension will seem like. All there’s to do is wait and see.
The excellent news in that is that it’s not simply going to go away for him — not less than, not in the meanwhile. With no present court docket orders stopping attorneys from sharing pre-trial depositions, leaks just like the Solis texts and the crying acknowledgement will preserve coming from 22 totally different girls who’ve been brave sufficient to place their names on the market and proceed to take a stand towards an extremely common public determine, even when NFL groups and homeowners had been greater than keen to be blind to the allegations. Blind sufficient, thoughts you, to offer Watson the largest assured contract within the historical past of the sport. He has a number of extra pre-trial depositions in June, although the trials themselves aren’t scheduled to start till February, at which level any suspension he faces from the league will possible be completed.
A minimum of till the season begins — and at that time, nobody can assure if everybody can be keen to miss his previous in alternate for wins — he’s below a harsh highlight, Bahamas journey be damned. And whereas I don’t assume it’s a good demand to ask his present teammates to talk out towards him, particularly because the instances are nonetheless ongoing, it’s honest to hope that the NFL steps up the place the Browns didn’t to sentence his habits. A sunny trip, beneficiant as it might be, can’t erase actuality.
