A young woman who says she was raped and threatened by retired NFL player Shannon Sharpe during a “rocky consensual relationship” has filed a civil lawsuit against him seeking $50 million in damages.
Attorneys filed the lawsuit Sunday in Clark County, Nevada, for a woman listed in court documents as Jane Doe. The lawsuit also accuses Sharpe of using physical force on her and inflicting emotional distress.
The lawsuit “lays out a pattern of intimidation, manipulation, and abuse, including allegations that Sharpe repeatedly threatened to choke and slap Jane Doe,” attorney Tony Buzbee said in a statement to CBS News.
The woman first met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023 when she was 20 and a nearly two-year relationship followed, according to court documents. Sharpe, 56, is accused of raping the woman in October 2024 and again in January, court documents said.
Sharpe on Monday posted a statement from his lawyer on X saying the relationship was consensual and calling the lawsuit a “blatant and cynical attempt to shake down” Sharpe for millions of dollars.
“It is filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations — and it will not succeed,” Lanny J. Davis said in the statement posted by Sharpe.
Sharpe is accused of becoming increasingly verbally abusive, controlling and violent over time, once threatening to kill her and recording their sexual encounters without consent, according to the complaint.
“Sharpe flew into fits of anger when Plaintiff noted his infidelity to their relationship, or called him out about his extraneous activities,” the lawsuit said. “Sharpe even figured out how to get into Doe’s apartment complex without her permission.”
Sharpe’s next steps
Sharpe said Thursday he is stepping away temporarily from his ESPN duties while he deals with what he called false allegations in the lawsuit.
Sharpe said in a statement that he would return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason. The first preseason game is set for July 31.
“I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me,” Sharpe said, adding: “I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues.”
Sharpe was a four-time All-Pro tight end who played on two Super Bowl champions with Denver and another with Baltimore over 14 seasons from 1990 to 2003. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. In February, his brother Sterling Sharpe was also named as a new member of the Hall of Fame.
Shannon Sharpe retired as the NFL’s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (815), yards receiving (10,060) and touchdowns (62). Those records have since been broken.
Sharpe has been a staple on TV and social media since retiring. He left FS1’s sports debate show “Undisputed” in 2023 and joined ESPN soon afterward.
The post Shannon Sharpe stepping away from ESPN duties after $50 million civil lawsuit appeared first on CBS News.
