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| - Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson says he looks forward to clearing his name after being sued by a massage therapist alleging sexual misconduct in March 2020. The suit was filed in Harris County, Texas, on Tuesday, alleging that during a massage at the female therapist's home, Watson exposed himself and touched the unnamed plaintiff's hand with his genitals. Watson responded to the lawsuit with a statement on social media. "As a result of a social media post by a publicity-seeking plaintiff's lawyer, I recently became aware of a lawsuit that has apparently been filed against me," he wrote. "I have not yet seen the complaint, but I know this: I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect. The plaintiff's lawyer claims that this isn't about money, but before filing suit he made a baseless six-figure settlement demand, which I quickly rejected. Unlike him, this isn't about money for me -- it's about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that." The Texans said in a statement Wednesday that they learned of the civil lawsuit via social media on Tuesday night. "We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously," the team said in a statement. "We will await further information before making any additional statements on this incident." Watson threw for an NFL-leading 4,832 yards in 2020 with 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The Texans drafted him in the first round in 2017 and coach David Culley has said the team is "committed" to Watson, although the three-time Pro-Bowler has reportedly requested a trade. bb/js
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