Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is engaged to longtime love Jilly Anais.
“Mrs. Watson Loading…,” Anais, 29, captioned an Instagram post on Sunday, March 16, announcing their engagement. Watson, 29, had his arms around Anais in the photo, as she held up her left hand to show off her dazzling engagement ring.
“My Queen,” Watson commented on the post. “MORE GLORY.”
News of Watson and Anais’ engagement comes after the NFL star made headlines for more than two dozen accusations of sexual assault.
Watson was initially accused of sexual assault by a massage therapist named Ashley Solis. She filed a civil lawsuit against the athlete, alleging that he exposed himself and touched her hand with his penis during a massage. More than 20 women came forward to file their own civil suits following the initial allegations.
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“I have not yet seen the complaint, but I know this: I Have never treated any woman with anything than the utmost respect,” Watson shared in a social media statement at the time. “The plaintiff’s lawyer claims that this isn’t about money, but before filing suit he made a baseless six-figure settlement demand, which I quickly rejected. Unlike him, this isn’t about money for me — it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that.”
Two separate grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson on criminal charges. However, the NFL launched their own investigation into Watson, which led to an 11-game suspension at the start of the 2022 season, and the athlete had to pay a $5 million fine.
By October 2024, Watson had since settled 23 of the civil suits that were filed against him. Watson previously addressed the controversy in an August 2022 interview.
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“I want to say that I’m truly sorry to all the women I’ve impacted in this situation,” he said at the time. “The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this position, I would definitely like to have back. But I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I want to keep pushing forward.”
Watson played for the Houston Texans from 2017 to 2021 before being traded to the Browns. Earlier this year, Watson underwent surgery following an injury to his Achilles tendon, which could potentially keep him off the field for the forthcoming 2025 season.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
