Shannon Sharpe is facing serious questions from fans over the $50 million rape lawsuit he’s now fighting in Nevada.
Filed by an ex-girlfriend identified as a ‘Jane Doe,’ the lawsuit accuses the 56-year-old Sharpe of raping the 20-something plaintiff in late 2024 and early 2025. The Denver Broncos great and popular podcaster has denied the allegations, although his attorney, Lanny Davis, concedes Sharpe previously made a settlement offer of at least $10 million.
Plaintiff attorney Tony Buzbee has released a recorded phone conversation in which Sharpe is heard threatening to choke his then-girlfriend. Davis has since confirmed the recorded call, while claiming his client was speaking ‘in the heat of the moment’ and the violent threat was ‘not intended.’
Furthermore, Davis released purported text messages between the accuser and his client, including one from early January in which she appears to accuse him of rape: ‘no means no shannon.’
Amid the negative publicity, Sharpe plugged an upcoming interview with famed boxer and WBA junior middleweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford, commenters were largely focused on the accusations.
‘Nah bruh,’ one person wrote on Instagram. ‘We need you to interview yourself [laughing emojis] you got a lot s*** going on.’
Shannon Sharpe made another appearance on his late night YouTube show just hours after shocking new evidence in the rape lawsuit against him came to light
‘Come on Unc why you messing with a 19 year old?’ another wrote, referring to Sharpe by his nickname. ‘You smarter than that man. Makes me think all of this is planned.’
Many more kept with the pugilism theme while urging Sharpe to step away from his platform.
‘Unc you gotta box those allegations you don’t have time,’ one wrote, while another added: ‘Gotta box them charges first.’
Sharpe initially received a wave of support in response to the allegations, and there were some commenters on Wednesday who found reasons to believe in his innocence.
‘That fact that he left the comments on let’s me know he’s going to be alright,’ one person wrote in response to Sharpe’s Instagram post.
Many others, however, seemed to be swayed by the negative press surrounding the lawsuit.
‘Trying to go on like he ain’t bothered,’ wrote one fan. ‘He knows when he gets home he be punching the air at night Lol.’
Sharpe initially received a wave of support in response to the allegations, but that has waned
Sharpe made another appearance on his late-night YouTube show just hours after shocking new evidence in the rape lawsuit against him came to light.
Despite reports of the bombshell suit surfacing that day, Sharpe still did his regular ‘Nightcap’ podcast with co-host and ex-NFL player Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson just after midnight on Monday.
The lawsuit was not mentioned during the episode.
And despite the disturbing new accusations that were made on Tuesday – including an alleged text from the accuser telling Sharpe ‘no means no’ and audio footage of him threatening to ‘choke the f***ing s***’ out of her – he appeared on the podcast again at half-past midnight.
Once more, though, there was no mention of the ongoing lawsuit.
Instead, Sharpe and Johnson dove straight into their typical NBA analysis following the LA Lakers’ playoff win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, which had only just finished.
While he kept quiet on Nightcap, Sharpe did break his silence on the matter on Tuesday afternoon, hitting out at the accuser’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, and accusing him of targeting black men for his own financial gain.
A well-known Houston lawyer, Buzbee previously represented the women who settled sexual misconduct lawsuits against NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson, now a member of the Cleveland Browns. Buzbee is also currently representing Andrew Tate’s ex-girlfriend, who accused the controversial influencer of physical abuse, and the woman who dropped her sexual assault accusations against Jay-Z.
The rapper has since filed his own lawsuit accusing Buzbee of extortion.
Sharpe, who has denied the rape allegations, is now accusing Buzbee of a ‘shakedown.’
‘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 can possibly imagine,’ the Denver Broncos great and popular podcaster said in a recorded statement posted on Instagram.
Buzbee did allege that Sharpe offered his client a ‘hefty sum’ to settle the case in February, only for the plaintiff to decline the payoff.
‘A little history,’ Buzbee wrote in his statement. ‘Back in early February, our office contacted Mr. Sharpe on behalf of Jane Doe and broached the subject of a meeting.
‘Multiple conversations took place,’ the statement continued. ‘Ultimately a mediation occurred. Mr. Sharpe was represented by different lawyers in that mediation. That mediation process went on for more than six weeks, ultimately leading to Mr. Sharpe making an incredibly significant offer to settle. Ultimately Jane Doe refused the hefty sum offered by Sharpe and instead filed this case last night.’
Davis has confirmed Sharpe’s settlement offer, which he says was at least $10million.
Sharpe and his attorney released the name of the ex-girlfriend accusing him of rape in Nevada, as well sexually explicit texts she allegedly sent to him – which include the messages above
Earlier on Tuesday, Sharpe could be heard threatening to choke the girlfriend who is now suing him in newly-released audio provided to DailyMail.com by Buzbee.
‘… I’m gonna f***ing choke the s*** out of you when I see you,’ he is heard telling the woman, identified only as ‘Jane Doe’ in her lawsuit.
Sharpe’s attorney has since claimed his client was speaking ‘in the heat of the moment’ and the violent threat was ‘not intended.’ DailyMail.com also reached out to ESPN, where Sharpe frequently makes guest appearances, but a network spokesperson declined to comment.
And in an alleged text exchange between the two parties back in January – which was provided to DailyMail.com on Tuesday by Davis, who claims they show ‘a pattern of sexual role-playing’ initiated by the accuser – the woman in question accuses him of forcing himself upon her without consent.
According to files released by the defense team, her bombshell message on January 2, 2025, said: ‘I cried when u left because I begged you to put a condom on and not put it in my a** and u didn’t listen. I don’t care what our history is, no means no shannon.’
‘Idk [I don’t know] how to process this,’ she added.
The evening prior, the accuser – who is believed to be in her 20s – allegedly text Sharpe demanding he made a payment to her, which she appeared to suggest had previously been promised.
‘You’ve got 5 mins to ft [FaceTime] me back with the money or there’s no deal and ur never touching this young white p**** again. i’m not playing with u shannon.’
The files claim she then sent a graphic photo before saying: ‘or this a**hole. i would get to calling if i were you…3 mins left’.
Sharpe with another of his former ex-girlfriends, fitness trainer Katy Kellner, in February 2012. Kellner isn’t the woman suing Sharpe in Nevada and has made no public claims about him
After threatening that his time was running out, she is then quoted as saying: ‘times up, no deal. goodbye.’
But Sharpe is said to have text back: ‘I’m punishing that a**hole 2morrow. Haven’t f**ed you up the a** in months’.
‘Respond or no deal,’ he added. Before his ex-girlfriend allegedly replied: ‘no.’
Over three hours later she then text him: ‘just admit it… ur addicted to me,’ before telling Sharpe she was left in tears after he allegedly raped her.
A phone call appeared to take place between the pair that evening. Five days later, Sharpe then messaged her saying: ‘You’re p***ing me off’.
‘Really what? we’re done shannon,’ she replied.
‘After you got the money we’re done? WOW,’ the ESPN First Take co-host fumed.
The accuser then allegedly told him: ‘no. u know why we’re done… and it has nothing to do with the money shannon.’
DailyMail.com reached out to Buzbee for comment.
‘I’m not sure why Sharpe’s attorney released those,’ Buzbee responded. ‘Makes me wonder whose side is he on? I think those two texts provide a good understanding of what occurred.’
