Shannon Sharpe, Hall of Fame NFL tight end and prominent media figure, is being sued in Nevada for $50 million by a woman identified as Jane Doe, who alleges rape, sexual assault, battery, and emotional abuse during their nearly two-year relationship.
The complaint claims Sharpe, in his mid-50s, began dating Doe when she was 20, and that the relationship became increasingly controlling and abusive.
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“A woman can say ‘yes’ to consensual sexual relations with a man ninety-nine times, but when she says ‘no’ even once, that ‘no’ means no,” the first page of the complaint reads.“Defendant Shannon Sharpe, a man who is accustomed to getting what he wants, completely fails to understand this basic concept. After many months of manipulating and controlling Plaintiff — a woman more than thirty years younger than he — and repeatedly threatening to brutally choke and violently slap her, Sharpe refused to accept the answer no and raped Plaintiff, despite her sobbing and repeated screams of ‘no.’”
Jane Doe accuses Sharpe of secretly recording and sharing sexual encounters without her consent and alleges multiple assaults in late 2024 and early 2025.
The lawsuit further states that Sharpe threatened her during a confrontation involving a visible firearm as she tried to end the relationship.
“One time specifically, he was yelling at her while there a was a firearm visible in his room,” the complaint states. “Terrified for her safety, Plaintiff tried sharing her location with friends from her iPhone—just in case. But Sharpe saw her doing this. The moment he realized what she was doing, he grabbed her by the neck and told her ‘If you ever do that again, I will f–king kill you.’”
Reports of Sharpe pursuing a lucrative new podcast deal have surfaced, but he has not yet commented publicly on the allegations. The case remains under active review.
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