Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson returned to the National Football League (NFL) this Sunday following an 11-game suspension. This time, he played against his former team: The Houston Texans.
Watson had his first start of the 2022 season in Houston, TX, where much of his alleged sexual misconduct took place, and Texans fans were not enthused to see him playing again.
In a viral TikTok video posted by Kevin Guevara (@sportswinningbets) on December 4, sports watchers can be heard chanting "No means no" in a boisterous chorus that filled the NRG Stadium.
The "No means no" sentence is a saying used worldwide to iterate the importance of consent before sexual acts between people.
"When someone says no to a sexual act, the other person(s) must respect that no, otherwise it is sexual violence," outlines a Nova Scotia resource on sexual violence.
In 2021, Watson faced 24 accusations of sexual assault lawsuits with various women, and 23 of them have been settled. These claims saw him suspended for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy. However, the footballer is now back.
One person in attendance at his first game was the athlete's girlfriend, Jilly Anais, who showed up donning a Browns #4 jersey.
Jilly Anais and others in Deshaun Waston jerseys. Right: Anais with friends at Sunday's game.@jillyanais | Instagram
The former Miss Houston has long been quiet about her partner and his transgressions on public platforms and has even posted less of him in the recent year.
However, Anais seemed to have enjoyed herself in the stands with family and friends, despite the thunderous chanting about Watson's sexual misconduct allegations.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or consult RAINN's website. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.