Pro Football Hall of Famer and media personality Shannon Sharpe vehemently denies sexual assault and battery allegations filed in a lawsuit against him, alleging that he’s the victim of a ‘blatant set-up’ and ‘shakedown’ attempt.
Sharpe has been accused of sexual assault and battery, in addition to engaging in the intentional infliction of emotional distress in a lawsuit filed in Clark County, Nevada on Sunday. According to the suit obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the plaintiff, listed under the alias ‘Jane Doe,’ alleged that Sharpe sexually assaulted her twice, once in October 2024 and again in January 2025. They met at a Los Angeles gym in 2023 when she was 19.
One of the attorneys representing ‘Jane Doe’ is Tony Buzbee, whom Sharpe accused of targeting him. Sharpe said he expects Buzbee to release a 30-second clip from a sex tape ‘that tries to make me look guilty.’
‘This is a shakedown. I’m going to be open, transparent and defend myself because this isn’t right,’ Sharpe said in an Instagram video on Tuesday. ‘This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzbee… I believe he is going to release a 30-second clip of a sex tape that tries to make me look guilty and plays into every stereotype you can possibly imagine.’
In a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday, Buzbee said, “Mr. Sharpe is unfortunately a liar.
“Sharpe offered Jane Doe $10 million to settle her case that she rejected,” Buzbee said. “She chose to file her case instead. I’m proud to be her lawyer. I didn’t seek her out as a client or target anyone and Sharpe is well aware of that.”
The plaintiff, who is seeking $50 million in damages, said she was in a relationship with Sharpe for nearly two years, and it began as a ‘rocky consensual relationship.’ The woman says Sharpe became violent over the course of the relationship, threatened to kill her during one incident, and recorded their sexual encounters without her consent.
In October 2024, Sharpe violently sexually assaulted the plaintiff on two separate occasions in Las Vegas, ignoring her requests to stop, the lawsuit says.
On Tuesday, Sharpe denied the allegations and said ‘the encounter in question took place during the day at her invitation.’ He alleges that Buzbee and ‘Jane Doe’ are attempting to ‘manipulate the media’ with an edited segment of a sex tape.
‘The video should actually be 10 minutes or so,’ Sharpe said. ‘Hey Tony, instead of releasing your edit, put the whole video out. I don’t have it or I would myself. You know what happened and you are trying to manipulate the media.’
Buzbee was part of the legal team that reached settlements against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson after more than two dozen massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct. Buzbee also represented an anonymous woman who claimed that rapper Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sexually assaulted her as a teenager more than two decades ago in a since-dismissed civil suit.
Sharpe said Buzbee has a history of ‘targeting Black men,’ pointing to Buzbee’s involvement in the civil lawsuit filed against Jay-Z in December. Sharpe added that Buzbee is actively ‘trying to take me down.’
In a statement released Monday, Sharpe’s attorney Lanny J. Davis called the lawsuit ‘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.’ Davis’ statement included several explicit text messages allegedly sent from Doe to Sharpe in order to ‘set the record straight.’
‘Mr. Sharpe categorically denies all allegations of coercion or misconduct — especially the gross lie of ‘rape’ — and will not submit to what he sees as an egregious attempt at blackmail,’ Davis said in the statement. ‘He stands firmly by the truth and is prepared to fight these false claims vigorously in court. He looks forward to vindication through due process and a judgment based on facts and the law.’
Sharpe, a three-time Super Bowl-winning tight end, has his own successful podcast, ‘Club Shay Shay,’ and makes regular appearances on ESPN’s First Take. It was reported last week that Sharpe is eyeing a new podcast deal in excess of $100 million.
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