Just hours after being hit with a $50 million sexual assault lawsuit, Shannon Sharpe is firing back. He posted a statement on social media on behalf of his lawyer, which also includes a series of explicit text messages posted to social media.
The former NFL star and current sports commentator denied all claims, including multiple allegations of rape, battery and revenge porn.
According to multiple reports, the woman who filed the civil suit is identified as Jane Doe and alleges she was in a nearly two-year relationship with Sharpe. She describes it as a “rocky but initially consensual” relationship that became abusive over time.
The lawsuit states the two met at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023. Her age at the time varies across outlets, ranging from 19 to 22.
Jane Doe claims Sharpe recorded their sexual encounters without her consent and shared them with others. She also accuses the 56-year-old of sexually assaulting her in October 2024 and again in January 2025. She is seeking $50 million in damages.
Sharpe’s legal team challenges accusations
Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny J. Davis, issued a statement on Sharpe’s X account in response to the sexual assault lawsuit. It reads in part:
“In her effort to extract a large financial settlement, [Jane Doe] presented Mr. Sharpe with a secretly recorded video of a consensual sexual encounter. We believe the video has been heavily edited and taken entirely out of context, crafted to falsely portray a consensual act as non-consensual.”
Davis also alleged that Jane Doe and her attorney, Tony Buzbee, “orchestrated” the civil case.
Tony Buzbee’s high-profile legal history
Buzbee is known for representing plaintiffs in other high-profile sexual misconduct cases. In 2024, he claimed to represent more than 100 alleged victims of Sean “Diddy” Combs.
He also represented a woman who filed a lawsuit against Jay-Z, claiming she was raped at age 13 during an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000. That lawsuit was later withdrawn, and Jay-Z filed a defamation suit against Buzbee and his client.
Lawsuit includes past social media incident
The sexual assault lawsuit also references an incident from September 2024, when Sharpe was allegedly heard having sex with a woman during an Instagram Live broadcast. Jane Doe says she was not the woman in the video and describes the moment as humiliating.
CNN shared a portion of the lawsuit that reads:
“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.’”
Sharpe releases graphic text messages
In response to the lawsuit, Sharpe’s legal team released a series of extremely graphic text messages. They claim these messages came from Jane Doe and reveal requests for sexual role-play and discussions of money exchanged for specific acts.
One message allegedly reads: “$25k for each cheek.” Another includes references to choking and submission.
Sharpe’s team says these messages — along with the allegedly edited video — demonstrate that the relationship was consensual. They characterize the lawsuit as a “blatant and cynical” attempt to extort money from Sharpe.
Buzbee on Monday announced his involvement in the lawsuit via Instagram, stating:
“I’m extremely proud to represent Jane Doe. 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.”
As of now, no criminal charges have been filed. The sexual assault lawsuit remains a civil case in Nevada state court.
