- NFL. Shannon Sharpe breaks his silence on the rape lawsuit against him on social media
- NFL. Shannon Sharpe faces $50 million lawsuit over serious sexual assault allegations
Shannon Sharpe, former NFL star and ESPN analyst, is facing a $50 million civil lawsuit in Nevada for alleged sexual battery, physical assault and infliction of emotional distress, according to a lawsuit filed by a woman identified as Jane Doe.
The lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe reveals a scandalous story: the NFL Hall of Famer allegedly seduced Jane Doe, who was just 20 years old, with lewd comments and a shady offer of "breast augmentation surgery" if she beat him in a weight-loss challenge.
What began as a consensual relationship turned into a living hell, according to Doe, with Sharpe relentlessly pressuring her to visit his lavish Beverly Glen mansion. There, the relationship took a dark turn as Shannon became a verbally abusive bully obsessed with controlling every aspect of her life and body, trapping her in a dynamic of control and fear.
Sharpe has already come out in his own defense with statements from his lawyers, and on his ESPN shows, the analyst has expressed confidence that everything will be resolved in his favor, claiming that he is merely being blackmailed. However, the criticism has not stopped for the former NFL player and the television network he works for.
Shannon decides to take temporary leave from ESPN
This morning, the pressure seems to have gotten to Sharpe, as he surprisingly announced that he will be leaving ESPN's programming in light of the allegations in order to take some time off.
"My statement is here and it is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual," Sharpe wrote in a statement on his X .
"At this time, I have decided to temporarily step away from my duties at ESPN. I will devote this time to my family and to responding to and addressing these false and disturbing allegations against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason," he wrote.
As the lawyers continue to do their thing, they are engaged in a war of leaked texts and audio recordings that are exacerbating the situation and forcing Shannon to escape the public eye for a while.
According to Lanny J. Davis, Sharpe's lawyer, turned down $10 million to drop the case, but he refused and filed the lawsuit. There are many more chapters to this story.