Doku, 24, was heavily criticsed by L'Equipe de Choc journalist France Pierron for his decision to leave Belgium’s World Cup camp for the birth of his first child.
"You have to realise that it's truly a privilege to participate in a World Cup; it's an incredible joy,” she said.
“There are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your place; it might never happen again in your life. It's truly a special moment, a childhood dream come true.
"And you're going to leave all that to be present for the birth of your child, which is a disgusting moment, excuse my language, where the father is useless; he's just an extra."
Pierron has since apologised and been suspended for her absurd comments.
Watkins, a father of two, has come out in stanch defence of Doku, emphasising the emotional toll it takes on players to be away from their families for long periods of time.
"Welcoming them to the world is a blessing – you don't get that opportunity (a lot)," Watkins explained to reporters.
"There are a lot of times when you're away from family and friends during the season, and it's a very difficult period.
"So to miss that would be tough, and I see where he's coming from, I think he has all (the) right to go back and be there.
"We're very privileged men at the end of the day and I'm sure he will have a lot of support to be able to get back and get there as quickly as possible, make sure he's there to support her and then fly back out.
"I don't think it's anyone else's business what he gets up to after training and if he goes back and does that, I think that's fair enough."