Shannon Sharpe, the NFL Hall of Famer and popular ESPN personality, finds himself at the center of a serious legal battle as a woman has filed a $50 million sexual assault lawsuit against him.
The 56-year-old former tight end and current host of the “Club Shay Shay” podcast with over 4 million subscribers is vigorously denying all allegations.
The lawsuit, filed by accuser Jane Doe, claims to have met Sharpe at a Los Angeles gym in 2023 when she was 19, alleges a nearly two-year relationship that turned violent.
According to the court documents, the accuser claims Sharpe “used his fame to manipulate, control, subjugate and violate women.”
The legal filing contains disturbing allegations, including claims that Sharpe raped the woman as recently as January after “many months of manipulating and controlling” her.
The plaintiff alleges that despite her “sobbing and repeated screams of ‘no,’ “Sharpe refused to stop.”
Additional allegations include claims that Sharpe insisted on recording sexual encounters, sometimes without the woman’s knowledge or consent, and shared the videos and shared these videos with “friends and associates.”
Sharpe has categorically denied these accusations. In a video posted to Instagram, he called the lawsuit “a shakedown” and vowed to “be open, transparent, and defend myself.”
He also threatened to sue for defamation and criticized the accuser’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, who has previously represented clients in high-profile cases against celebrities like Jay-Z and NFL player Deshaun Watson.
Leaked Audio Raises Questions In Shannon Sharpe Assault Case
The case took a dramatic turn when attorney Tony Buzbee released audio recordings that have intensified scrutiny of Sharpe’s behaviour.
In one particularly troubling clip, a voice identified as Sharpe’s can be heard engaging in a conversation with the accuser about his trip to Los Angeles.
When the woman expresses reluctance about going out, stating, “I’m not really interested in getting choked,” the voice responds with a disturbing threat: “I might choke you in public… Big Black guy chokes small white woman.“
After the woman responds that it’s “not a good look,” the voice retorts,
“It’s not a good look the s–t you did to me.”
whereisthebuzz.com
In a separate, previously released recording, Sharpe allegedly told the woman, “If you say that word one more time, I will f–king choke the s–t out of you when I see you,” after she accused him of manipulation.
Buzbee claims these recordings “provide a fair picture of the relationship shortly before the alleged assault,” though he has not specified the exact dates of the recordings.
Sharpe’s legal team has responded by framing these conversations as part of a consensual relationship that included role-playing.
They characterize the audio as “a very small excerpt with no date or context attached to it” and have released text messages allegedly sent by the accuser that they claim show she “likes and asks for fantasy role playing and other forms of unusual sexual behavior.“
One such message reportedly shows the woman asking Sharpe to “put a dog collar around my neck and choke me with it while ur f—ing me,” which Sharpe’s representatives argue demonstrates the consensual nature of their interactions.
Despite the growing scandal, ESPN has not suspended Sharpe from his role on “First Take,” where he regularly appears alongside Stephen A. Smith.
The network has declined to comment on the situation as the legal process unfolds.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny J. Davis, held a press conference denying wrongdoing and claimed the accuser’s behavior changed when Sharpe refused to have a child with her.
- Shannon Sharpe is reportedly in negotiations for a $100 million deal for his network of shows.
- The woman who filed the lawsuit claims she and Sharpe had a “rocky consensual relationship” before the alleged assault.
