KA Sports Photos / Flickr Creative Commons
Watson as a Houston Texan.
HBO announced late last week that a number of women who had accused Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct would appear on the Tuesday evening episode of "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel."
HBO initially said that "several" women would appear in on-record interviews, but lawyers for the accusers Monday confirmed to local and national media that two women were interviewed and would appear in Tuesday's episode.
"HBO approached us and asked if our clients would be willing to speak on the record for the Real Sports program," the women's attorney, Tony Buzbee, said in a prepared statement sent to the media. "As was the case with speaking with law enforcement and the NFL, we left the decision whether to speak publicly up to the clients themselves. Two chose to do so. These women are the most brave and courageous I’ve ever met."
The HBO press release said that reporter Soledad O'Brien would conduct the first ever national TV interview of the Watson accusers. "In the report, they detail the alleged abuse they suffered and share their reactions to Watson’s record-breaking $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns," the statement read.
Watson declined to be interviewed for the story. His attorneys told cleveland.com that while they had been in contact with HBO, they declined an on-record interview due to the ongoing NFL investigation.
The episode will air Tuesday at 10 p.m., the same day that Watson himself will take the field for his first organized team activities with the Browns.
The Browns traded a bushel of draft picks to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson this summer, signing the QB to a five-year contract worth an unprecedented $230 million.
***
Sign up for Scene's weekly newsletters to get the latest on Cleveland news, things to do and places to eat delivered right to your inbox.
