Former NFL star and popular media personality Shannon Sharpe is facing a $50 million lawsuit filed by an anonymous woman alleging rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse.
The lawsuit, filed on Sunday, April 20, reportedly spans 13 pages and lists charges including assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
According to court documents cited by NBC Sports, the plaintiff, listed as “Jane Doe,” claims she was in a “rocky consensual relationship” with Sharpe for nearly two years.
She accuses him of recording their intimate moments without her consent and allegedly sharing the videos with others.
The lawsuit references a viral incident from September 2024 when Sharpe accidentally livestreamed himself engaged in a sexual act—an event that Doe says was not connected to her but ultimately prompted her to distance herself from him.
She claims Sharpe then “relentlessly pursued” her, culminating in an alleged rape in October 2024 and another incident of unprotected, forcible sex in January 2025.
The legal filing also includes allegations of verbal threats, with Sharpe allegedly threatening to choke and slap her when she resisted his advances.
“He demanded complete control over her time and body,” attorney Tony Buzbee wrote in the lawsuit. Buzbee, known for his role in the Deshaun Watson case, filed the suit alongside Micah Nash.
Sharpe has not responded publicly to the allegations, and his legal team has yet to issue a formal statement.
The case arrives as Sharpe was reportedly in talks for a $100 million deal with The Volume podcast network.
The high-profile nature of the case has sparked widespread discussion online and is expected to draw intense media scrutiny.
— BBC News Entertainment
