NFL Corridor of Famer and sports activities media character Shannon Sharpe has been accused of rape in a 13-page civil swimsuit, by which a Jane Doe alleges he sexually assaulted her on two events over the course of the previous 12 months. The three-time Tremendous Bowl champ, who’s being sued for over $50 million in compensatory and punitive damages, launched a press release through his lawyer on-line disputing the claims.
The lawsuit, filed Sunday in Nevada’s Clark County by Houston-based legal professional Tony Buzbee (who’s representing various accusers towards Sean Combs), alleges that Sharpe’s consensual however “deeply manipulative” relationship with a lady 30 years his junior turned abusive, leading to threats and actions of bodily violence, together with anal rape.
In keeping with the criticism, Sharpe, who’s now 56, first met the then-19-year-old plaintiff in 2023 at a Los Angeles fitness center and “incessantly pursued” her. After their preliminary assembly, the lawsuit describes a interval of a year-and-a-half the place the plaintiff met Sharpe at his residence as usually as 4 instances every week, whereby the podcaster would “deal with her like an object.”
The swimsuit alleges Sharpe choked her, threatened to kill her, recorded their sexual actions and shared them with others with out her information and informed her that he needed to do issues to her that might “make no different man need her.” It additionally alleges Sharpe “discovered how you can get into Doe’s house advanced with out her permission.”
In a single alleged encounter, Sharpe berated her whereas a firearm was seen within the room. “Terrified for her security, Plaintiff tried sharing her location with pals from her iPhone—simply in case. However Sharpe noticed her doing this. The second he realized what she was doing, he grabbed her by the neck and informed her ‘For those who ever do this once more, I’ll fucking kill you,’” the doc reads.
The lawsuit incorporates point out of Sharpe’s unintentional Instagram Dwell stream of him having intercourse with a lady in September 2024, one thing the swimsuit claims was something however unintentional. The girl was not the Doe in query, with the swimsuit stating that the motion “not solely damage her emotionally—it made her worry for her sexual well being and the chance of sexually transmitted illness,” main her to distance herself from Sharpe.
After as soon as once more pursuing Doe following the livestream incident, the lawsuit alleges that on Oct. 6, 2024 Sharpe compelled oral intercourse on the girl, holding her in place to take action as she sobbed. He then forcibly anally raped her, the swimsuit claims. On Jan. 2, 2025, the plaintiff mentioned she was as soon as once more forcibly induced to carry out oral intercourse for 2 minutes after which raped.
“As quickly as he penetrated her, Plaintiff screamed and sobbed. Her cries for assist did nothing to cease Sharpe. The assault lasted roughly 10 minutes, ending solely when Sharpe ejaculated inside her. Plaintiff cried and begged repeatedly for him to cease,” the swimsuit describes.
The doc additionally references one other courtroom matter, Michele Evans v. Shannon Sharpe, filed in January 2023 in New York, which alleges Sharpe acted “eerily related” to the actions introduced on this present swimsuit, together with forcing nonconsensual oral intercourse and vaginal penetration whereas telling Evans that he would “make it so no different man would need” her.
“Shannon Sharpe isn’t only a sports activities icon—he’s one thing far worse. He’s a flawed, narcissistic particular person who has spent years utilizing his fame, energy, and affect to control, management, subjugate and violate girls. With this swimsuit, Plaintiff intends to place an finish to this egregious conduct,” the lawsuit states.
Suing for assault, sexual assault, battery and sexual battery, in addition to intentional infliction of emotional misery, the swimsuit calls for a jury trial.
In response to the swimsuit, Sharpe posted a press release through his lawyer Lanny J. Davis on social media by which he names the girl and apparently cites textual content messages supporting what he deems is a consensual relationship. The assertion calls the swimsuit a “blatant and cynical try to shake down Mr. Sharpe for tens of millions of {dollars}. It’s stuffed with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations — and it’ll not succeed.”
Davis additionally claims the plaintiff “closely edited” a recorded video of a consensual sexual encounter to color it as nonconsensual, refusing to offer a duplicate of it. In response, Davis launched specific messages allegedly despatched by Doe for example “a transparent image” of a “consensual, grownup relationship that included role-playing, sexual language, and fantasy eventualities explicitly requested” by her.
“Mr. Sharpe categorically denies all allegations of coercion or misconduct — particularly the gross lie of ‘rape’ — and won’t undergo what he sees as an egregious try at blackmail,” the assertion reads partially.
In the summertime of final 12 months, Sharpe signed a multiyear contract with ESPN in a deal that expanded his presence on morning debate present First Take and different community applications.
