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Forbes
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Former NFL Player Shannon Sharpe Sued For Rape Allegation—What We Know About The $50 Million Lawsuit
Ex-NFL player and podcaster Shannon Sharpe was accused of rape in a Nevada lawsuit filed Sunday and latter characterized the legal action as a 'shakedown,' saying in a Tuesday statement he plans to sue the plaintiff and her high-profile lawyer, Tony Buzbee, for defamation. Former NFL player Shannon Sharpe is seen on the set of The NFL Network along Radio Row on February ... More 05, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by) The lawsuit filed says a Jane Doe had a 'rocky consensual relationship' with Sharpe, 56, and accused the former football player of rape, harassment and causing emotional distress, claiming Sharpe raped her twice in October and once in January. The complaint, which seeks $50 million in damages, also alleges Sharpe insisted on recording sexual encounters, at times without Doe's knowledge, and claimed they were for personal use, though the plaintiff accused Sharpe of sharing videos with friends on multiple occasions. Sharpe called the lawsuit a 'shakedown' in a video statement Tuesday and said he believed Buzbee was going to release a clip of a sex tape between him and Doe that 'tries to make me look guilty and play into every stereotype you could possibly imagine.' The clip mentioned by Sharpe, who demanded Buzbee release the full, unedited sex tape, has not been released as of Wednesday. Sharpe said he would sue Doe and Buzbee for defamation, with Lanny Davis, Sharpe's lawyer, also releasing a statement Tuesday that shared alleged text messages between Sharpe and Doe and claimed the lawsuit from Buzbee was 'filled with lies, distortions and misrepresentations.' Buzbee responded to Sharpe and Davis with his own statement, saying Sharpe disclosed the existence of the video to 'get ahead of it,' adding the video will be played to a jury in the case. Buzbee also published an audio transcript between Doe and Sharpe, which was shared with TMZ on Tuesday, that seems to show Sharpe threatening to choke the accuser after she claimed he was manipulating her (Davis did not confirm the authenticity of the audio to NBC News but noted he had 'no reason to dispute' what Sharpe said and insisted the podcaster was not being literal). Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. Buzbee has been involved in several high-profile lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct by public figures like Jay-Z and Sean 'Diddy' Combs, the latter of whom will soon head to trial over federal charges including sex trafficking. Buzbee voluntarily dropped a rape lawsuit against the two rappers in February, when Jay-Z, also known as Shawn Carter, and Combs denied the allegations. Jay-Z called the allegations 'frivolous, fictitious and appalling' and called Buzbee a 'deplorable human,' encouraging the lawyer to take the case to criminal court instead of a civil one, before the lawsuit was eventually dropped. Jay-Z has since sued Buzbee for alleged defamation and extortion. Buzbee also represented several individuals in lawsuits against Combs alleging sexual assault and other forms of misconduct. The Texas lawyer withdrew from 15 cases against the rapper in March, stepping down from one of them because he was not admitted to practice law in the Southern District of New York. Sharpe, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has risen to greater public prominence on TV and social media following his career in the NFL, having stints on Fox Sports and ESPN. He hosts his own podcast, titled 'Club Shay Shay,' and has over 4 million subscribers on YouTube. The commentator is reportedly nearing a $100 million agreement involving his podcast and other shows that are part of his media network, according to Front Office Sports. Sharpe's sex life has made headlines before, as the commentator accidentally livestreamed audio of an encounter between him and a woman last year on Instagram. Sharpe initially claimed the audio was the result of a hack before admitting it was posted by mistake, saying on one of his podcasts 'It wasn't a prank, it was me being a healthy, active male.' Lawsuit Accusing Jay-Z And Sean 'Diddy' Combs Of Rape Dropped (Forbes)
New York Post
23-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Stephen A. Smith addresses ‘uncomfortable' Shannon Sharpe lawsuit for first time
Stephen A. Smith has broken his silence on the rape allegations against his ESPN colleague Shannon Sharpe. On his self-titled podcast released Tuesday, Smith spent nearly 20 minutes discussing the topic, calling it a 'sad situation.' 'Shannon Sharpe is somebody I work with a couple of days a week. Shannon Sharpe is somebody I brought to ESPN … We've grown close as friends … I certainly root for him,' he said. Advertisement Sharpe denied the accusations Monday through his lawyer, Lanny J. Davis and doubled down on his denial in a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday. An uncertain Smith, who has worked with Sharpe on 'First Take' since September 2023, said he couldn't 'speak to his innocence or guilt from a knowledgeable place.' Advertisement 'Even though I got love and respect for Shannon Sharpe, and I'm sincerely hopeful and prayerful that he is completely innocent of the allegations that have been levied against him,' he added, Smith admitted that he was 'a bit torn' on Sharpe's response, first giving credence to Sharpe's argument that the accuser's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, who also represented plaintiffs in the Jay-Z, Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Deshaun Watson cases, 'targets black men.' Stephen A. Smith spoke out on the rape allegations against Shannon Sharpe on Tuesday. Getty Images But he later questioned how Sharpe has handled the situation since news broke of the lawsuit on Monday morning. Advertisement 'On one hand, going on the offensive to defend himself, I completely understand where Shannon Sharpe is coming from,' Smith said. 'On the other hand, when his legal team issued out the press release on X yesterday and they spoke about (her), they mentioned her name, and they revealed some of those explicit text messages. That was uncomfortable. And I don't know if that's a strategy that will work.' In multiple press releases, Davis named the accuser and unveiled a series of explicit texts allegedly sent by Sharpe's accuser, which Davis argues are indicative of a consensual relationship that included 'role-playing' and 'fantasy.' Former NFL player Shannon Sharpe is seen on the set of The NFL Network along Radio Row on February 05, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Getty Images Davis said his client was willing to pay the plaintiff 'at least $10 million' in a settlement for her silence as the two sides were in the midst of a mediation prior to the lawsuit. Advertisement Smith added that he had spoken to Sharpe since the allegations emerged and he 'emphatically' denied claims. 'In my perfect world, [Sharpe] moves on and somehow, some way, we find this all to be false,' Smith said. 'But it doesn't seem like that's the way things are about to go down, considering how Mr. Buzbee is and how emphatic his client is proclaiming that she is right and she is telling the truth. I don't know where this is going to go. I can't speak to anything else.' Sharpe appeared on 'First Take' on Tuesday, but Smith admitted that the Worldwide Leader still has decisions to make on the issue. ESPN told The Post it had 'no comment' on the situation on Monday. 'I have no idea what direction ESPN will go in when it comes to this matter,' Smith said. 'All I do know is it won't be me making the decision. It will be others upstairs. In the end, all of us have someone to answer to. No matter how maverick we try to be.'
New York Post
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Dave Portnoy: Shannon Sharpe spiked interview was ‘biggest insult of my professional career'
Dave Portnoy said he did a favor for Shannon Sharpe and was given 'the biggest insult of my professional career' in return at Super Bowl 2025 in New Orleans this past February. During Monday's installment of 'The Barstool Rundown,' the founder of Barstool Sports explained he filmed Sharpe's 'Club Shay Shay' podcast for two hours and the ESPN personality 'never aired it.' 'Maybe Shannon Sharpe has dealt my the biggest insult of my professional career. He had me on 'Club Shay Shay and just spiked it. He just spiked it. Never aired it,' Portnoy said. 'Spent f–king two hours I did a favor — my time, spiked it. It had to be spiked. Listen, I walked out, I didn't think it was great. I didn't think I was gonna get spiked… I just answered the questions that are asked of me… I don't know, I didn't think it was great, but he spiked it. 3 Dave Portnoy said he did a favor for Shannon Sharpe and was given 'the biggest insult of my professional career' in return at February's Super Bowl 2025 in New Orleans. YouTube/Barstool Sports 'What an insult… It's rude too… You asked me to go over there, spend time, I do, and you just spike it.' Portnoy said he would've appreciated an explanation and a heads up that his conversation on 'Club Shay Shay' wasn't going to be released. He added that Sharpe had a big stack of cards and asked him a bunch of questions during the interview. 3 Shannon Sharpe is seen on the set of The NFL Network along Radio Row on February 5, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Getty Images 'He was pretty deep on some of it, I don't know how much he knew of me,' Portnoy said. 'He probably didn't set it up. I don't know. '… It was tough to get spiked… but maybe he'll let me post it.' Portnoy added there wasn't anything controversial in the conversation, and that they discussed the Caitlin Clark versus Angel Reese debate. Sharpe has yet to publicly address the matter. 3 Shannon Sharpe attends Netflix & WWE 'Monday Night RAW' Brunch at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on April 21, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images for Netflix Portnoy went on to compliment Sharpe for how hard he works in the media. He recalled doing Sharpe's podcast after he mentioned the civil lawsuit accusing the Hall of Fame tight end of rape, which was filed by a woman under the pseudonym 'Jane Doe' in Nevada on Sunday. Portnoy said he didn't want to get into details about the situation. Sharpe denied all allegations of coercion or misconduct in a statement through his counsel to The Post on Monday. The ESPN personality named his accuser in text message documents posted to his X account. Sharpe appeared on 'First Take' Tuesday and attended WWE's 'Monday Night Raw' in Las Vegas after the news broke.
New York Post
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Shannon Sharpe accused of rape in $50 million lawsuit after ‘rocky consensual relationship'
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.' Former NFL player Shannon Sharpe is seen on the set of The NFL Network along Radio Row on February 5, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Getty Images The complaint claims that Sharpe recorded the two involved in sexual acts together without her knowledge and then shared those videos without her knowledge or permission. The plaintiff is not the woman that Sharpe accidentally shared audio of on an Instagram livestream having sex. However, the plaintiff began to end the relationship after that incident and Sharpe relentlessly persued 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.
