Shannon Sharpe reached a private settlement after being sued for $50 million by a woman who accused him of rape.
Shannon Sharpe has reached a private settlement in a $50 million civil lawsuit filed by Jane Doe, who accused the NFL Hall of Famer of rape, battery and deliberate infliction of emotional distress during a two-year relationship that ended in early 2025.
“Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship. After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed-upon resolution. All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice,” Tony Buzbee revealed.
The case, filed in Nevada in April, was led by attorney Buzbee, widely known for handling hundreds of lawsuits involving Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Filed under a pseudonym, the plaintiff claimed that Sharpe raped her in October 2024 and again in January 2025, even after she said “no” multiple times and cried through the encounters.
“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 civil complaint read.
Sharpe labeled the suit a “shakedown” and denied all the accusations, pointing instead to what he said were consensual interactions that involved sexual role-play.
Buzbee released multiple audio files alleged to feature Sharpe making threatening remarks, including one where he’s heard saying he would “choke the s###” out of the plaintiff.
The fallout for Sharpe was swift. Sharpe stepped away from his role as commentator on ESPN First Take and canceled his eight-city Nightcap NSFW Tour with Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.
