Shannon Sharpe has denied allegations of rape levied against him in a civil lawsuit filed on Sunday, with his attorney claiming Sharpe’s accuser presented the former NFL star with a “secretly recorded” and “heavily edited” video he says is designed to depict a nonconsensual encounter.
Sharpe, 56, is being sued for $50 million by a woman under the pseudonym “Jane Doe,” who accused the current ESPN personality of sexually assaulting her in late 2024 and early 2025.
“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,” Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny J. Davis, said in a statement that Sharpe shared on his X account. “He stands firmly by the truth and is prepared to fight these false claims vigorously in court.”
Davis claims that Sharpe’s accuser “has refused to provide a copy of the full, unedited version of the recording to Mr. Sharpe’s legal team.”
The statement includes text messages Davis says were sent to Sharpe by his accuser that are graphic in nature and broadly show a desire for relations with Sharpe.
“The evidence paints a clear picture: this was a consensual, adult relationship that included role-playing, sexual language, and fantasy scenarios” requested by Jane Doe, Davis said.
Doe accused Sharpe of threatening to kill her multiple times.
“One time specifically, he was yelling at her while there was a firearm visible in his room,” the...
Pro Football Hall of Famer and sports media personality Shannon Sharpe has been accused of raping a woman he had been in a consensual sexual relationship with in a lawsuit filed Sunday night in Cl...