Former NFL player Shannon Sharpe accused of rape in $50 million U.S. civil lawsuit
A young woman said she was raped and threatened by retired NFL player Shannon Sharpe in a “rock voluntary relationship” and had filed a civil lawsuit against him for seeking $50 million in U.S. compensation.
The attorney filed a lawsuit Sunday in Clark County, Nevada, who listed in court documents as Jane Doe. The lawsuit also accused Sharp of using physical strength on her and causing emotional distress.
The woman first met Sharp in 2023 at a gym in Los Angeles, and when she was 20, she was in a romantic relationship for nearly two years, according to court documents. Sharpe, 56, was charged in October 2024 with rape of the woman and raped again in January, court documents said.
Sharp issued a statement on X on his attorney Monday, saying the relationship was voluntary and called the lawsuit a “blatant and cynical attempt to shake it” for Sharp for millions of dollars.
“It’s full of lies, twists and false statements, and that won’t succeed,” Lanny J. Davis said in a statement released by Sharpe.
Sharpe, accused of increasingly verbal abuse, was verbally abused, controlled and violent over time, once threatened to kill her and document their intercourse without consent.
“Sharp flew over the anger when the plaintiff noticed his infidelity to their relationship, or called on him for activities that were irrelevant,” the lawsuit said. “Sharp even figured out how to enter the DOE’s apartment building without her permission.”
Sharpe, who has won four all-around games, competed in two Super Bowl titles in 14 seasons from 1990 to 2003. He was enrolled in the Hall of Fame in 2011.
Sharpe retired in receptions (815), yards (10,060) and touchdowns (62) to become an all-time leader in the NFL. Since then, these records have been broken.
Sharp has been a staple on TV and social media since retirement. He left FS1’s sports debate show “Uncontroversial” in 2023 and joined ESPN shortly thereafter.
