Shannon Sharpe, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and ESPN contributor, announced Thursday he is temporarily stepping away from his ESPN duties, specifically his role on First Take, amid a $50 million civil lawsuit filed against him in Clark County, Nevada.
The lawsuit, filed on Sunday, April 20, 2025, by a woman identified as Jane Doe, accuses Sharpe of rape, sexual assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress during a nearly two-year relationship that began in 2023.
The plaintiff, who was 19 or 20 when she met Sharpe at a Los Angeles gym in 2023 (Sharpe was 54 or 56), alleges that their initially consensual relationship became "rocky" and manipulative. She claims Sharpe exhibited controlling behavior, including demanding control over her time and body, and became verbally abusive and violent.
- Sharpe raped her in her Las Vegas apartment in October 2024 and January 2025, ignoring her pleas to stop.
- He recorded sexual encounters without her consent and shared them with others.
- Sharpe threatened to choke and slap her, including an incident where he allegedly threatened to kill her after she arrived late to his home.
- In October 2024, Sharpe allegedly forced her into a car, took her to her apartment, and raped her. The lawsuit, filed by attorney Tony Buzbee, seeks over $50 million in damages for pain, suffering, and emotional distress. Buzbee has represented plaintiffs in high-profile cases, including against Deshaun Watson and Sean Combs.
Sharpe has denied all allegations, calling the lawsuit a “shakedown” orchestrated by Buzbee. In a statement posted on X and Instagram, he asserted that the relationship was “100% consensual” and described the accusations as “false and disruptive.”
While the former NFL tight end continues to contend with the bombshell claims, new allegations from his past have emerged. Sharpe has been accused of allegedly choking a female production assistant in the Fox Sports workplace during his time as a co-host of 'Undisputed' alongside Skip Bayless, according to Front Office Sports.
Sharpe has also denied that accusation.
'On one occasion, he and a few colleagues were involved in some light physical interaction in a playful context. Fox Sports later chose to resolve the matter privately.' Sharpe and the network reportedly settled with the accuser for 'several hundred thousand dollars,' the report added.
In 2010, he briefly stepped away from his role on CBS’s NFL Today studio show after he was accused of sexual assault. Sharpe later returned to the network after a restraining order was dismissed.
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