Shannon Sharpe stepping away from ESPN duties after $50 million civil lawsuit

9 hours ago 4

A young pistillate who says she was raped and threatened by retired NFL subordinate Shannon Sharpe during a "rocky consensual relationship" has filed a civilian suit against him seeking $50 cardinal successful damages.

Attorneys filed the suit Sunday successful Clark County, Nevada, for a pistillate listed successful tribunal documents arsenic Jane Doe. The suit besides accuses Sharpe of utilizing carnal unit connected her and inflicting affectional distress.

The suit "lays retired a signifier of intimidation, manipulation, and abuse, including allegations that Sharpe repeatedly threatened to choke and slap Jane Doe," lawyer Tony Buzbee said successful a connection to CBS News.

The pistillate archetypal met Sharpe astatine a gym successful Los Angeles successful 2023 erstwhile she was 20 and a astir two-year narration followed, according to tribunal documents. Sharpe, 56, is accused of raping the pistillate successful October 2024 and again successful January, tribunal documents said.

Sharpe connected Monday posted a statement from his lawyer connected X saying the narration was consensual and calling the suit a "blatant and cynical effort to shingle down" Sharpe for millions of dollars.

"It is filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations — and it volition not succeed," Lanny J. Davis said successful the connection posted by Sharpe.

Sharpe is accused of becoming progressively verbally abusive, controlling and convulsive implicit time, erstwhile threatening to termination her and signaling their intersexual encounters without consent, according to the complaint.

"Sharpe flew into fits of choler erstwhile Plaintiff noted his infidelity to their relationship, oregon called him retired astir his extraneous activities," the suit said. "Sharpe adjacent figured retired however to get into Doe's flat analyzable without her permission."

Sharpe's adjacent steps

Sharpe said Thursday helium is stepping distant temporarily from his ESPN duties portion helium deals with what helium called mendacious allegations successful the lawsuit.

Sharpe said successful a connection that helium would instrumentality to ESPN astatine the commencement of the NFL preseason. The archetypal preseason crippled is acceptable for July 31.

"I volition beryllium devoting this clip to my family, and responding and dealing with these mendacious and disruptive allegations acceptable against me," Sharpe said, adding: "I sincerely admit the overwhelming and ongoing enactment I person received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues."

Sharpe was a four-time All-Pro choky extremity who played connected 2 Super Bowl champions with Denver and different with Baltimore implicit 14 seasons from 1990 to 2003. He was voted into the Hall of Fame successful 2011. In February, his member Sterling Sharpe was besides named arsenic a caller subordinate of the Hall of Fame.

Shannon Sharpe retired arsenic the NFL's all-time person among choky ends successful receptions (815), yards receiving (10,060) and touchdowns (62). Those records person since been broken.

Sharpe has been a staple connected TV and societal media since retiring. He near FS1's sports statement amusement "Undisputed" successful 2023 and joined ESPN soon afterward.