Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam Reacts To Deshaun Watson Backlash

Deshaun Watson had his introductory press conference with the Cleveland Browns on Friday. And as expected, he was flooded with questions about the accusations of sexual assault filed by over 20 massage therapists.

To the surprise of no one, Watson maintained his innocence — claiming that he has never disrespected any woman.

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Deshaun Watson Finally Addresses The Sexual Assault Allegationshttps://t.co/nm00RkGlQF

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Later in the press conference, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam also spoke on the process that went into trading for Deshaun Watson.

While the Browns’ brass caught flak for not speaking with the attorney who filed the lawsuits against Watson, Haslam said he went through an extensive process to get to know what Watson is all about.

“We got very comfortable with Deshaun Watson, the person,” Haslam told reporters.

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#Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on why the team was comfortable pursuing Deshaun: "We got very comfortable with Deshaun Watson, the person."

— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) March 25, 2022

Jimmy Haslam would also set some expectations for Deshaun Watson off the field.

“We expect very high performance levels on and off the field from our players, and Deshaun knows and understands that.”

Jimmy Haslam’s wife, Dee, also gave her sign-off on bringing Deshaun Watson into the organization.

“This was really hard,” she said. “This was a journey. I got more comfortable after meeting Deshaun. It took some time. It was a process on behalf of my family and our daughters for sure.”

Even though Deshaun Watson has been cleared by the criminal justice system, the NFL still has an ongoing investigation pending. And we’ll likely hear about these accusations for a long time to come.

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