Deshaun Watson's lawyer said that the lawsuits are "replete with mischaracterizations of Mr. Watson's conduct."
Deshaun Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, filed a response to the 22 lawsuits filed against the Texans quarterback on Monday. He stated that "based on what we have been able to determine so far, the plaintiffs are not victims of any type of misconduct, much less sexual misconduct."
From March 16 until April 14, 23 lawsuits were filed against Watson alleging sexual harassment and sexual assault, including one from this past March.
One lawsuit was dropped by a plaintiff "for now," according to court documents, "in light of privacy and security concerns."
On Monday, Hardin said the lawsuits, which were recently re-filed with the names of the plaintiffs released, are "replete with mischaracterizations of Mr. Watson's conduct."
"These range from being misleading, to fraudulent, to slanderous," Hardin wrote.
A Massage Therapist on Her Session With Deshaun Watson
Hardin's statement attempts to refute a number of allegations made in several of the lawsuits. Among them, Hardin alleges in his statement that "plaintiffs lied about the number of sessions they actually had with Mr. Watson" and that "plaintiffs lied about their alleged trauma and resulting harm." In another rebuttal, he claims that "plaintiffs willingly worked, or offered to work, with Mr. Watson after the alleged incidents."
The Houston Police Department is investigating at least one complaint involving Watson.
Since the initial civil lawsuit was filed, a number of companies, including Nike, Beats by Dre and the supermarket chain H-E-B, have subsequently either suspended their work with, or said they will not renew their endorsement deals with, Watson.
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy has called the allegations "deeply disturbing." He said the NFL is investigating the matter and "takes these issues very seriously."