Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe has been accused of rape by a woman under the pseudonym “Jane Doe” in a 13-page, $50 million civil lawsuit filed Sunday, according to ProFootballTalk.
The complaint, filed in a Nevada state court, alleges the ESPN personality committed assault, sexual assault, battery, and sexual battery, and engaged in the intentional infliction of emotional distress during a “rocky consensual relationship” that lasted nearly two years with a woman more than thirty years younger than him.
The complaint accuses Sharpe of being “manipulating and controlling” and “repeatedly threatening to brutally choke and violently slap her.”
The complaint claims that Sharpe recorded the two involved in sexual acts together without her knowledge and then shared those videos with his friends and associates without her knowledge or permission.
The plaintiff is not the woman that Sharpe accidentally shared audio of on an Instagram livestream “on accident” while having sex in September 2024, the complaint states.
However, the plaintiff claims she began to end the relationship after that incident and Sharpe relentlessly pursued her afterwards.
“A woman can say ‘yes’ to consensual sexual relations with a man ninety-nine times, but
when she says ‘no’ even once, that ‘no’ means no,” the first page of the complaint reads, per ProFootballTalk.
“Defendant Shannon Sharpe, a man who is accustomed to getting what he wants, completely fails to understand this basic concept. After many months of manipulating and controlling Plaintiff — a woman more than thirty years younger than he — and repeatedly threatening to brutally choke and violently slap her, Sharpe refused to accept the answer no and raped Plaintiff, despite her sobbing and repeated screams of ‘no.’”
Sharpe was sued the same day Front Office Sports reported that he is expected to sign a deal for his “Club Shay Shay” podcast that would exceed $100 million after his contract with Colin Cowherd’s The Volume podcast network expired recently.
The woman is represented by Micah Nash and Tony Buzbee, according to the report.
Shannon Sharpe attends the 56th NAACP Image Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 22, 2025 in Pasadena, California. FilmMagic
Buzbee represented more than 20 women who sued Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, beginning in early 2021, alleging sexual assault and misconduct.
Watson served an 11-game suspension from the NFL in 2022 and was required to pay a fine and undergo treatment.
The three-time Pro Bowler settled 23 of the 24 lawsuits filed against him.
This story is developing… please check back for updates.
