NFL Hall of Famer and media personality Shannon Sharpe has been named in a civil lawsuit filed Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Nevada state court, accusing him of multiple counts of sexual assault, battery, and coercive conduct stemming from an alleged abusive relationship with a woman more than 30 years his junior.
The complaint, filed by an anonymous plaintiff identified only as “Jane Doe,” alleges that Sharpe, 56, sexually and physically assaulted her on multiple occasions between October 2024 and January 2025, during what began as a consensual relationship when the woman was 20 years old. The lawsuit seeks more than $50 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
According to the complaint filed in Clark County District Court, Jane Doe accuses Sharpe of using his fame and influence to “manipulate and control” her over the course of nearly two years. The filing details two alleged violent incidents in Las Vegas in which Sharpe is accused of ignoring repeated pleas for him to stop and anally raping the plaintiff.
“After many months of manipulating and controlling Plaintiff — a woman more than thirty years younger than he — and repeatedly threatening to brutally choke and violently slap her, Sharpe refused to accept the answer no and raped Plaintiff, despite her sobbing and repeated screams of ‘no,’” the suit states.
The woman is represented by prominent Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who told CNN that while he could not confirm whether police reports were filed in connection to the alleged incidents, “it takes a great deal of courage to stand up against those with power, fame and money. I look forward to pressing this case in court.”
Sharpe, a three-time Super Bowl champion and host of the popular “Club Shay Shay” podcast, has denied all allegations through his legal counsel. His attorney, Lanny J. Davis, issued a strongly worded statement calling the lawsuit a “shakedown attempt” and claiming that the plaintiff had initiated much of the pair’s sexual activity.
“This is a clear case of attempted blackmail,” Davis said. “Mr. Sharpe categorically denies all allegations of coercion or misconduct. The relationship was consensual and, in many cases, initiated by her with specific and graphic requests. Mr. Sharpe looks forward to vindication through due process and a judgment based on the facts and the law.”
No criminal charges have been filed in connection to the civil suit, and neither the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department nor the Clark County District Attorney’s Office has issued public comment on the matter as of publication.
Sharpe, who played for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens, retired in 2003 as the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns for a tight end at the time. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and has since become a prominent sports commentator and media figure.
As of now, a court date has not been set. Legal experts say the case could hinge on questions of consent and credibility, especially given the lack of contemporaneous police reporting.
This is a developing story.
