NFL Hall of Famer and Club Shay Shay host Shannon Sharpe is pushing back hard against a $50 million lawsuit filed by a woman accusing him of rape and abuse.

The lawsuit, filed in Nevada, alleges that Sharpe, 56, sexually assaulted the woman twice during their relationship, in October 2024 and January 2025. She claims Sharpe exhibited violent behavior, made threats, and recorded intimate moments without her consent. The accuser, identified as Jane Doe, was about 20 years old when she met Sharpe at a Los Angeles gym in 2023.

Sharpe has denied all allegations and says the relationship was entirely consensual. He took to social media to defend himself publicly, calling the suit a “shakedown” and announcing his intent to countersue both the accuser and Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing her.

 
 
 
 
 
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“I won’t sit back and allow my name to be dragged through the mud for a payday,” Sharpe stated. His legal team also claims the woman rejected a $10 million settlement offer prior to filing the suit.

Buzbee, a high-profile figure in Houston legal circles, is no stranger to controversy. He has represented numerous clients in high-profile sexual misconduct cases, including those against celebrities like Deshaun Watson and Sean “Diddy” Combs. Sharpe accused Buzbee of “targeting successful Black men,” a claim that has added fuel to public debate.