(In United State) Shannon Sharpe Hit with $50M Lawsuit Alleging Rape, Faces Separate $14M Defamation Suit

 

Shannon Sharpe Hit with $50M Lawsuit Alleging Rape, Faces Separate $14M Defamation Suit

Shannon Sharpe, a former NFL star and ESPN analyst, is embroiled in a $50 million lawsuit filed by a woman, Jane Doe, who alleges rape and sexual assault during a relationship that began in 2023 when she was 19. 

Her attorney, Tony Buzbee, has confirmed they will not release a video purportedly depicting a sexual encounter between Doe and Sharpe, describing it as critical evidence for the case. Buzbee clarified that Sharpe’s legal team first disclosed the video’s existence, not his client, and it was shared during mediation. Sharpe was offered chances to view the footage but declined.  

Sharpe’s legal team, led by Lanny Davis, counters that Doe secretly recorded the encounter and edited the video to falsely portray a consensual act as non-consensual, accusing her of orchestrating a financial shakedown. They claim Doe has refused to provide the unedited video. Sharpe vehemently denies the allegations, asserting the relationship was entirely consensual and labeling the lawsuit an extortion attempt.

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The lawsuit also references a separate $14 million defamation case filed by another woman, Michele Evans, in New York in 2023, which includes an allegation of sexual assault from 2010. Amid these legal battles, Sharpe has temporarily stepped away from his ESPN role on “First Take” to focus on addressing the allegations, with plans to return by the NFL preseason.  

No video evidence has been made public, and Buzbee has reiterated there are no plans to release it, emphasizing its role in the ongoing legal proceedings. The case remains unresolved, with both sides standing firm in their claims, and further developments are awaited as the lawsuits progress.