NFL Hall of Famer and media personality Shannon Sharpe faces a $50 million lawsuit that accuses him of sexual assault and battery, as well as engaging in the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Sharpe's attorney Lanny J. Davis called the legal action "a blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars." "It is filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations – and it will not succeed," USA TODAY reported.
The lawsuit was filed in Nevada, with the plaintiff being listed as "Jane Doe." The outlet detailed that the woman was involved with Sharpe for about two years and that it began as a "rocky consensual relationship."
Attorney Tony Buzbee told CBS News that the lawsuit "lays out a pattern of intimidation, manipulation, and abuse, including allegations that Sharpe repeatedly threatened to choke and slap Jane Doe."
"Jane Doe" allegedly met Sharpe, 56, at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023 when she was 20. The lawsuit accuses Sharpe of raping the woman in October 2024 and again in January after an increasingly tumultuous relationship.
"Sharpe flew into fits of anger when Plaintiff noted his infidelity to their relationship, or called him out about his extraneous activities," the suit details. "Sharpe even figured out how to get into Doe's apartment complex without her permission." Sharpe is also accused of threatening to kill the woman and record their sexual encounters without her consent.
