Deshaun Watson has been facing the music all season until he sustained a season-ending Achilles injury. Off-field controversies had also long been part of the quarterback’s story. Yet, his girlfriend stood by him. Now, the Cleveland Browns quarterback is honoring his significant other on her special day.
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On Instagram, Watson shared a heartfelt birthday message for the woman who has supported him through it all. He shared a number of pictures featuring the love of his life, and in each one, the duo looked incredibly happy.
“Happy Birthday To You Queen!” Watson captioned the post. “4ever love you ma! Grateful to celebrate with you! Continue to smile and inspire!”
— Semper (@Semper152892) January 2, 2025
It was a sweet showing of love for Watson’s girlfriend, Jilly Anais. She loved the post so much that she left a comment under the photo collage.
“Thank you to the love of my life! I love you with all of my being!”
Jilly Anais comments under her Birthday post from Deshaun Watson pic.twitter.com/dN9S1NgOeo
— FootballinMyVeins (Kidding, it’s blood) (@nfl_rocky) January 2, 2025
While it’s nice to post a picture of your significant other for their birthday, this post raised some eyebrows. Watson has become public enemy #1 ever since it was revealed he committed sexual misconduct with multiple women while receiving massages. Many would find it surprising to learn that he has a girlfriend at all.
Fittingly, comments under Watson’s posts were limited. As it has been for all of his posts since the allegations surfaced.
Watson has settled 23 out of the 24 cases against him since 2022 in what has been a messy fall from grace for the once-beloved Houston Texans quarterback. It was later revealed that Watson booked appointments with 66 different women in just 17 months, from 2019 to 21.
As a punishment, Watson served an 11-game suspension, paid a $5 million fine, and had to undergo counseling before he was allowed back into the league.
However, another woman came out and accused Watson of sexual harassment back in September of 2024. The accusations and allegations will likely follow him around for the rest of his life.
On the field, however, Watson was rewarded following his punishments. The Browns signed him to a 5-year, $230 million contract, fully guaranteed. To fans, the signing made little sense, especially since Watson had just been through the ringer with legal issues and was already showing signs of decline toward the end of his time in Houston.
Fast forward to today and the contract has already been restructured. Watson still seems to be enjoying life, though, as he poses with his girlfriend on a boat with a beautiful ocean-side city overlooking the background.
Nevertheless, Watson has been a disaster in Cleveland. His numbers have declined across the board, and the Browns seem content with paying him to sit on the sidelines.
So, let’s hope Watson enjoys his time with his girlfriend. Expensive vacations and getting the right angle for photos are pretty much all he has to look forward to anymore.
