CLEVELAND — Over the course of the past two months, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has settled 23 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct, including harassment and assault.
One civil suit against Watson, however, still remains.
On Friday -- one day after the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) reached a settlement on an 11-game suspension and $5 million fine for Watson -- Lauren Baxley wrote a column for The Daily Beast detailing why she hasn't agreed to a settlement with the 3-time Pro Bowl quarterback. In the column, Baxley says that Watson harassed and committed indecent assault against her during a massage therapy session in 2020 and that she has rejected all settlement offers in part because of the 26-year-old's lack of remorse.
"I have rejected all settlement offers, in part because they have not included any sincere acknowledgment of remorse and wrongdoings, nor have they included any promises of rehabilitative treatment," writes Baxley, who said she quit practicing massage therapy earlier this year. "Watson still refuses to admit that he harassed and committed indecent assault against me. Any settlement offer he has made has been a dismissal of his evil actions, and I know that unless there is an authoritative intervention, he will continue his destructive behavior.
"Because Watson repeatedly assaulted women, the institutions and individuals who currently uphold and employ him must also be held accountable."
Watson's remorse -- or lack thereof -- has become the subject of conversation in recent weeks. In making her ruling that the Clemson product had violated the league's Personal Conduct Policy on three counts, including behavior that qualifies as sexual assault, former U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson noted Watson's "lack of expressed remorse."
Ahead of the Browns' preseason opener last week, Watson -- who has not been criminally charged as a result of the allegations -- issued an apology to the women who he has impacted. But while he reiterated his apology on Thursday, he also stressed that he maintained his innocence and that his decision to settle with 23 accusers was not an admission of guilt.
“I’ve always been able to stand on my innocence and always said I never assaulted or disrespected anyone and I've always been able to stand on that," Watson said. "But at the same point, I have to continue to push forward with my life and career."