LAS VEGAS (AP) — A young woman who claims to have been raped and threatened by retired NFL player Shannon Sharpe during a “tumultuous consensual relationship” has filed a civil lawsuit against him, seeking 50 million dollars in damages.
The lawyers filed the lawsuit on Sunday in Clark County, Nevada, on behalf of a woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe. The lawsuit also accuses Sharpe of using physical force against her and causing her emotional distress.
According to court documents, the woman first met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023 when she was 20 years old, and they had a relationship for almost two years. Sharpe, 56, is accused of raping the woman in October 2024 and again in January, according to court documents.
On Monday, Sharpe’s lawyer released a statement in X saying that the relationship was consensual and describing the lawsuit as a “blatant and cynical attempt to extort” millions of dollars from Sharpe.
“It is full of lies, distortions, and misrepresentations, and it will not succeed,” said Lanny J. Davis in the statement published by Sharpe.
According to the complaint, Sharpe is accused of becoming increasingly verbally abusive, controlling, and violent over time, once threatening to kill her and recording their sexual encounters without consent.
“Sharpe would explode in fits of anger when the Plaintiff pointed out his infidelity in the relationship or confronted him about his extramarital activities,” the lawsuit stated. “Sharpe even found a way to enter Doe’s apartment complex without her permission.”
Sharpe was a four-time All-Pro tight end who played on two Super Bowl champions with Denver and another with Baltimore during his 14-season career from 1990 to 2003. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011.
Sharpe retired as the all-time leader in the NFL among tight ends in receptions (815), receiving yards (10,060), and touchdowns (62). Those records have since been surpassed.
Since his retirement, Sharpe has been a prominent figure on television and social media. He left the sports debate show “Undisputed” on FS1 in 2023 and joined ESPN shortly after.