The Houston Chronicle parted ways with Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson a few weeks after an appearance with Boston’s The Greg Hill Show on WEEI. During the interview, Wilson failed to demonstrate objectivity, dismissing DeShaun Watson’s sexual harassment accusers as a money grab.
The interview took place March 19, the same day plaintiff attorney Tony Buzbee stated nine more civil suits were filed against Watson, bringing the number of women alleging sexual assault against the Texans quarterback to 12. There are now 22 lawsuits against Watson, who maintains the allegations are false.
On Saturday, Wilson released a statement expressing remorse for his comments during the March 19 interview with The Greg Hill Show.
“I made a mistake that I fully understand and own when I did not choose my words nearly carefully enough during a discussion regarding the sensitive, comp on a March 19 radio program regarding the sensitive, complex and controversial Deshaun Watson legal situation, in the days following the initial filing of the civil lawsuits from women against him,” Wilson wrote. “My efforts to convey perspectives on the situation clearly demonstrated an unintentional lack of sensitivity to the serious nature of these types of allegations and I sincerely apologize for my remarks. I didn’t maintain my own high standards that I’ve established and applied during my two decades of covering many other similarly important and delicate situations in the NFL. I will proceed much more carefully going forward and learn from this moment. I am committed to outstanding journalism now and always.”
After claiming the allegations were a money grab during the interview, Wilson said on WEEI that he was skeptical of Watson’s accusers. “I want to be careful in the sense that I’m not dismissing that it wasn’t true and the sense that that I wasn’t there.”
Morning host Greg Hill accused him of being pro-Watson, and despite the need for a reporter to show some semblance of objectivity with a still developing story, Wilson didn’t argue. “I’m not saying I’m not, I don’t know them, I know him,” Wilson said. “I’m not gonna throw the guy under the bus before I have some proof. I don’t feel like I have the proof, just it’s allegations.”
Hill’s co-host and former NFL tight end Jermaine Wiggins asked Wilson about Watson’s background, and the reporter highlighted his impeccable character and underprivileged upbringing. The most egregious comment from Wilson came as he tried to explain that players with impeccable reputations are better targets because they’re more likely to pay for allegations to go away.
“In his case, you know, it’s kind of like you don’t, you know, you don’t negotiate with terrorists,” Wilson told The Greg Hill Show. “You know, people are demanding money, they’re asking for money. The — it kept escalating, it kept going up and up and up. And you start talking about more and more funds, I’m not gonna say how much it got to. But my understanding is, you know, that there was an admission that, it was, you know, something, you know, just that this was, you know, just a money grab.”
According to Diana Moskovitz and Kalyn Kahler of Defector, the Chronicle’s sports department held a staff meeting Friday where they were informed Wilson was no longer employed by the publication. Wilson joined the Chronicle in 2015 as their Texans beat writer following a long tenure covering the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.
