CLEVELAND — WARNING: The below story features graphic and explicit content
Two of the women who are accusing Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct appeared Tuesday on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" to recount the alleged abuse they suffered.
The accusers, Ashley Solis and Kyla Hayes, also reacted to the record $230 million that the Browns gave to Watson after acquiring him in a trade with the Houston Texans.
In advance of the segment with correspondent Soledad O'Brien which aired at 10 p.m. ET, HBO provided excerpts of conversations in the interview.
Nature of alleged abuse with Ashley Solis and Kyla Hayes
ASHLEY SOLIS: As I'm working, he deliberately grabs himself and put his penis on my hand. And I pulled my hand away instantly and I started crying. And I told him that I'm done. I don't wanna do this anymore.
KYLA HAYES: He wanted me to kind of make a V motion in his pelvic area. So go across his stomach to his thighs, back to his stomach. I just kept massaging and did what he asked until his penis kept touching me repeatedly as I did it. He was moving his penis back and forth as my hands moved as well.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: It allowed him to, kind of, put his penis on to your hands?
HAYES: Exactly.
O’BRIEN: And you thought that was intentional?
HAYES: It was intentional
O'BRIEN: So how did it end?
HAYES: At some point, he did ejaculate. That was mortifying and embarrassing and disgusting.
Solis recalled how her experience with Watson ended.
SOLIS: He just said, "I know you have a career to protect." And "I know you don't want anyone messing with it just like I don't want anyone messing with mine." To me, that's when that's when I got really scared.
O'BRIEN: Why?
SOLIS: Because that sounded like a threat to me.
Watson has denied that any impropriety or sexual contact of any kind with either Ashley Solis or Kyla Hayes took place. He also denies having the exchange with Solis.
Ashley Solis and Kyla Hayes react to Watson’s $230 million contract
SOLIS: It's just like a big screw you. That's what it feels like. That we don't care. He can run and throw, and that's what we care about.
HAYES: It was sick to me.
O'BRIEN: Why?
HAYES: I felt like he's being rewarded for bad behavior.
Solis and Hayes are among the 22 clients being represented by attorney Tony Buzbee in the ongoing civil suit against Watson. He was also asked by O'Brien for his thoughts on Watson's record contract. "I don't think the team cares about what Deshaun Watson may have done in a massage session. And based on my personal experience with the NFL, I don't think they care either," Buzbee said.
O'Brien also spent time with Leah Graham, a member of Watson's legal team.
O’BRIEN: For Deshaun Watson to be innocent, 22 women would have to be lying. Why would the public believe one man versus 22 different women?
GRAHAM: It's 22 women. It's one lawyer. There's only one lawyer who was willing to take these cases. And as we know from Ashley Solis’ deposition, Mr. Buzbee was not the first, probably not the second or third lawyer she went to, but he was the only one to take her case. Why? Not because it had merit, but because he would use these cases to increase his social media following and quite frankly to get on shows like this one.
O’BRIEN: Deshaun Watson has insisted that in these massages, that he was looking for nothing other than professional services, but we know he did have sex with three women, right? Oral sex with two, vaginal sex with another. So how do you explain unintentionally ending up having sex with people who are giving you professional massages?
GRAHAM: Well, in every massage, I will tell you he did go, intending just for a professional massage, and only those three instances where sexual conduct occurred-- consensual sexual activity-- it occurred after the massage session had ended. And Mr. Watson has testified and is insistent that that sexual activity was initiated by the plaintiff in every single instance.
O’BRIEN: He said he has no regrets. Is that still true? He has no regrets?
GRAHAM: As he testified in his depositions last week, yes, he has no regrets because he did nothing wrong. He did nothing wrong in these massages. And although-- to your first question, "How can he be innocent?" I think the real question is, "What evidence is there of any guilt?"
While two grand juries have declined to indict Watson -- who missed the entire 2021 season -- he is facing civil lawsuits and could still be punished by the NFL pending the results of its own investigation.
The 26-year-old Watson met with NFL investigators last week, which many believe may be one of the final steps of the league's probe. Watson has thus far maintained his innocence, stating at his introductory press conference: "I never assaulted, I never disrespected and I never harassed any woman in my life."
3News' Ben Axelrod contributed to this story
Previous Reporting:
- Jimmy's Take: Regardless of the outcome, 'it's time for a conclusion' to the Deshaun Watson saga
- Lawyer for Deshaun Watson says bad publicity will make it hard for NFL to issue no findings vs. Browns QB
- Browns QB Deshaun Watson caps busy week as NFL investigation continues
- Jimmy's Take: Latest details in case of Browns QB Deshaun Watson are 'disturbing to a lot of people'
