The attorney representing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has filed a motion to publicly reveal the identity of one of the 22 women who are suing Watson for alleged sexual harassment.
Hardin issued a statement via KPRC-TV’s Vanessa Richardson on Thursday outlining why he filed the motion and why he planned to do the same in all the other cases:
“We have said this before and we want to say it again: Deshaun did not force, coerce or intimidate anyone to do anything against their will. When we asked Mr. Buzbee to identify his clients weeks ago, he refused and told us to file a motion. Today we filed that motion. As discussed in our filing, Mr. Buzbee’s use of anonymous lawsuits violates Texas law and the basic concept of fairness.
“It is clear that, for Mr. Buzbee, this case has never been about seeking justice in a courtroom, but destroying Deshaun’s reputation to enhance his own public profile and enrich himself. While I understand that anonymity often is used as a shield for victims, Mr. Buzbee is using it as a sword. While shielding his clients from public scrutiny, Mr. Buzbee continues to use their anonymous allegations to destroy Mr. Watson. This is simply not right. And we look forward to resolving these matters in court.”
On Friday, there will be a hearing at 11 a.m. in Harris County District Court regarding Hardin’s emergency request to disclose the names of the plaintiffs.
One of the plaintiffs has already come forward and read a public statement. The second known plaintiff submitted a letter that was read by Buzbee’s staff at a press conference.
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