HOUSTON – Sources shared with KPRC 2 a non-disclosure agreement that Deshaun Watson sent to one of his accusers on Thursday night.
While nothing on the form is filled out, it has the name Deshaun Watson typed in at the top.
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According to court documents, 16 women have filed suit against the Houston Texans quarterback. The women accuse the player of misconduct during massage sessions that he booked over social media. The allegations range from indecent exposure to inappropriate touching. One of the women claims Watson forced her to perform oral sex on him.
“If you are an A-list celeb or a top jock, it’s not out of the question for you to want to keep your business off of social media,” said KPRC 2 legal analyst Brian Wice, referring to the non-disclosure agreement. “Most people might not think it’s common for someone to sign an NDA when they walk into a massage booth, but if you are an A-list celebrity or top athlete you want to make sure that what you do stays off of the 24-hour news cycle.”
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But Wice calls the document that sources say Watson sent to one of the massage therapists, “amateur hour.”
“With all due respect, it appeared to me that someone merely downloaded a standard non-disclosure agreement off of the internet or maybe they went to NDAs R’ Us,” Wice said. “Nothing stands out about this NDA.”
According to sources, after the massage therapist returned the form to Watson, she asked Watson for a signed copy of the non-disclosure agreement she had signed. Watson only provided her a blank document without her or Watson’s signatures.
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“There is no law that requires it, but I would think that as any competent ethical lawyer you would want to make sure that you had a copy,” Wice said. “The only exception being if, at the end of the day, there is something not quite kosher about it. Maybe you don’t want that extra signed copy circling.”
The woman accuses Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct. If that proves true, Wice said a non-disclosure agreement would not hold up.
“It is a matter of Texas law that you cannot induce someone to sign an NDA if the conduct that you are seeking to insulate is unlawful or illegal,” Wice said.
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In response to the non-disclosure agreement, Rusty Hardin told KPRC 2 that “he welcomes all the contentions they’re going to make.”
Earlier this week, Hardin said these allegations against Watson are false.