"Unless there is an authoritative intervention, he will continue his destructive behavior"- Former massage therapist who refused to settle with Deshaun Watson reveals her story

Deshaun Watson settled in court with 23 of his 24 accusers of sexual misconduct, but there is one person still holding out. Her name is Lauren Baxley, and she wrote about her experience with the Cleveland Browns quarterback in an article for the Daily Beast.

Baxley wrote that because of what she went through with Watson, she quit the only career she ever knew earlier this year.

According to her, Watson harassed and assaulted her in June 2020 while she was performing a massage on the then-Houston Texans signal-caller.

While not a soothsayer, Baxley made a prediction that Watson's predatory behavior will continue.

"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.

"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."

The alleged victim then wrote a very poignantly-worded statement.

"I am just one of dozens of women whose lives have been eternally harmed by his sexual violence. Even one more victim is outrageous."

Baxley went as far as to say that the court's decision to suspend Watson for only 11 games is a message to the victims that their lives don't matter:

"I sincerely, with humility in my relative anonymity, ask that those in power over Deshaun Watson make swift and stringent decisions to prevent further acts of harm against women. Please remember the women who have decided they could no longer fight this legal battle after multiple courts, and multiple fandoms, told them their lives didn’t matter."

---

What Deshaun Watson must do to be reinstated

The number of games Deshaun Watson will miss is seen as relatively low by many. However, there are additional hoops that the QB must jump through before he gets a chance to start for the Browns this coming season.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio explained the reconciliation process Watson must go through.

Florio also pointed out that the evaluation and treatment required by the league for Watson is pointless if he continues to plead innocent. Also, a failure to comply with these directions by the quarterback can lead to a further extension of his suspension.

Perhaps Baxley was blaming Watson for something he hasn't done yet. The truth of the matter is known only to the few people directly involved. But clearly the league is making sure that the alleged behavior is not repeated by the Browns QB.