Lawsuit accusing Shannon Sharpe of sexual assault settled, lawyer says

LAS VEGAS — Pro Football Hall of Fame member Shannon Sharpe has resolved a lawsuit that accused him of sexually assaulting a woman during their relationship, her attorney said Friday.

“All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice,” Tony Buzbee said on X, meaning the suit can’t be refiled.

No details were released. The suit, filed under the pseudonym Jane Doe, had sought $50 million.

Sharpe called the allegations “false and disruptive” when the lawsuit was filed in April in Clark County, Nevada. He stepped away from work at ESPN on April 24 but had pledged to return by the start of the NFL preseason.

A phone message seeking comment from Sharpe’s attorney, David Chesnoff, wasn’t immediately returned Friday.

The woman first met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023 when she was 20 and a nearly two-year relationship followed, according to the lawsuit. Sharpe, 57, was accused of raping the woman in October 2024 and in January.

“Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship,” said Buzbee (who also represented a number of women who filed suits against NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson). “After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution.”

Sharpe was a four-time All-Pro tight end who played on two Super Bowl-winning teams with Denver and one with Baltimore over 14 seasons from 1990 to 2003. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

He retired as the NFL’s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (815), yards receiving (10,060) and touchdowns (62). Those records have been broken.

Sharpe has been a staple on TV and social media since retiring. He left FS1’s sports debate show “Undisputed” in 2023 and joined ESPN soon afterward.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.