Deshaun Watson Accuser Count Close to 2 Dozen; Lawyer Denies Working With Texans to Keep Watson in Houston

The Houston attorney who filed seven civil lawsuits against Deshaun Watson over sexual misconduct allegations days ago said he's prepared to add five more suits against the Houston Texans quarterback.

Tony Buzbee said his law firm has spoken to more than 10 women — beyond the 12 he is already representing — for a total of at least 22 women.

Buzbee said during a news conference he has vetted each woman’s claims in the cases he has filed, including the first plaintiff who came to him — he said the next suits will be filed "in due course" but did not specify a timeline.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Buzbee attempted to dismiss rumors that he worked with the Houston Texans' ownership to bring the lawsuits against Watson after the quarterback said he was willing to sit out next season if the team does not trade him.

“Yes, I live on River Oaks Boulevard and I live near the McNair family," Buzbee said, per the Houston Chronicle. "I don’t know the McNair family. I wouldn’t recognize Cal or Hal, or whatever his name is, if I saw him on the street. This case has nothing to do with the Texans, has nothing to do with free agency. The timing? I don’t know anything about that silliness and I frankly don’t care about it."

Buzbee says he knew from the start the case "would generate a lot of interest" and took steps to ensure things checked out, the Chronicle reports.

“I understood that this case would generate a lot of interest," Buzbee said. "I wanted to make damn sure that what she was saying was plausible, was right and true. And I was convinced after visiting with her that she was telling the absolute truth,” Buzbee said at a news conference from his office in downtown Houston. “To be quite honest, she’s a very brave person. Her story certainly passes the smell test.”

Buzbee also revealed his firm has been formally contacted by the Houston Police Department over a potential criminal investigation into the NFL quarterback, ABC 13 reports.

During the news conference he held, Buzbee said he was contacted by the Houston police regarding Watson's sexual misconduct allegations. On Friday, Buzbee posted a screenshot of a conversation with an individual named "Detective" on Instagram.

Within hours, Houston Police Department issued a statement that said the agency was not aware of any contact between its department and Buzbee.

David Mulugheta, Watson's agent, joined in on the social media conversations before the police department had a chance to respond to Buzbee. Watson's agent said he simply hopes "we keep this same energy with the truth."

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