While Shannon Sharpe appeared in his usual seat on First Take on Monday it was hard to ignore the rumors that were flying around about a civil suit that paints the NFL Hall of Famer and host of two popular podcasts, “Club Shay Shay” and “Night Cap” with Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, in a negative light.
Woman Accuses Shannon Sharpe Of Heinous Crimes
According to reports, a young woman who says she was r*ped and threatened by Sharpe during a “rocky consensual relationship” has filed a civil lawsuit against him seeking $50 million in damages.
Attorneys filed the lawsuit Sunday in Clark County, Nevada, for a woman listed in court documents as Jane Doe. The lawsuit also directly accuses Sharpe of using physical force and inflicting emotional distress on the woman.
The alleged victim first reportedly met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023 when she was 20 and a nearly two-year relationship followed, according to court documents. Sharpe, 56, is accused of sexually assaulting the woman in October 2024 and again in January, court documents said.
Shannon Sharpe Defends Himself Against Allegations On Social Media
Sharpe on Monday posted a statement from his lawyer on X saying the relationship was consensual and calling the lawsuit a “blatant and cynical attempt to shake down” Sharpe for millions of dollars.
“It is filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations — and it will not succeed,” Lanny J. Davis said in the statement posted by Sharpe, who also took to social media to defend himself against allegations which are already turning his meteoric media rise into a pit of controversy.
“Tony Buzbee targets Black men and I believe he’s going to release a 30 second clip of a sex tape that tries to make me look guilty and play into every stereotype you could possibly imagine. That video should actually be 10 minutes or so. Hey, Tony, instead of releasing your edit. Put the whole video out. I don’t have it or I would myself. You know what happened and you’re trying to manipulate the media. The account in question took place during the day at her invitation and now that appears to be a deliberate setup. Coordinated by Gabby also known as Carly on Onlyfans. Gabby and Tony Buzbee want $50M. What they’re getting is sued for defamation and trying to take me down.”
Sharpe continued: ” My career is all about real talk and honesty. I know my family and fans know exactly what this is all about. And I’m going to be out there telling you whatever I need to say just like I always do.”
Recent reports say that Sharpe offered the accuser $10M to settle, but she wanted $50M and decided to blow him up in court. That would make this extortion, but in situations like these people ignore those kinds of unimportant facts.
Social Media Discovers Shannon Sharpe Offered Accuser Gabbi Zuniga $10M To Settle
“If you’re offering 10m for the scenario, you’re clearly guilty…,” said one fan in reference to reports that Sharpe tried to settle this for $10M.
“Niguh could’ve got miss b nasty instead unc went to a college party,” said another disappointed fan.
“He’s just like Shaq fr. Kids, divorced, and loves them young hoes,” said another netizen.
Who Is Tony Buzbee?
Buzbee, the Houston-based lawyer, has gained additional fame by filing 20 lawsuits against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs alleging a pattern of abuse against men and women. When Buzbee tried to tarnish the image of rap mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter by dragging his name into one of those lawsuits, Jay-Z struck back against Buzbee and the Jane Doe. Buzbee was also prominent in the many suits brought against Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson by various masseuses.
So Buzbee does like to target high-profile clients, and he makes the accusations sound as heinous as possible It didn’t seem like the world was anxious to start talking about this, but now that Sharpe has addressed it, let’s see what happens next and how fans react.
Important Facts About Shannon Sharpe Lawsuit
1) Shannon sharpe denied all claims.
2) The text messages released by his lawyer don’t paint a full picture of the relationship.
3) When he met the plaintiff she had just turned 20 years old; he was 54.
4) The plaintiff’s attorney release audio from an alleged phone call between the plaintiff and Shannon.
5) Both parties agree that relationship was consensual until October 2024 after he accidentally when live on IG.
