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Despite making headlines this week for rape and sexual assault, Shannon Sharpe still showed up to the NFL Draft.
Sharpe recorded an episode of his Nightcap podcast with fellow retired NFL legend Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. While many of the broadcaster's colleagues and fans have commented on the assault and battery charges, Johnson has not made a statement regarding his co-host's ongoing legal battle.
Sharpe has been accused by Jane Doe of sexually assaulting her at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 as well as other allegations. Sharpe allegedly met Doe in 2023 and had a “rocky consensual relationship” for nearly two years.
“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,'” the complaint alleges.
The Club Shay Shay host defended his innocence and spoke out for the first time following the lawsuit filed last week via Instagram. He defined Doe's accusations as nothing more than a “shakedown.”
“I’m gonna be open, transparent and defend myself because this isn’t right. This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzbee, who has targeted Jay-Z,” the Pro Football Hall of Famer said, referring to Jane Doe’s lawyer in a video on Instagram Tuesday, April 22.
“Tony Buzbee targets black men, and I believe he’s going to release a 30-second clip of a sex tape that tries to make me look guilty, and plays into every stereotype you could possibly imagine. That video should actually be 10 minutes or so,” Sharpe continued.
While Sharpe has been accused of filming Doe and his sexual interactions, he claims he does not have a sex tape with his ex-girlfriend in it. Since the filing, phone conversations between the two have been posted online. In once clip, Sharpe is allegedly heard saying to Doe, “I’m going to f–king choke the s–t out of you.”
“Hey Tony, instead of releasing your edit, put the whole video out. I don’t have it, or I would myself. You know what happened, and you’re trying to manipulate the media. The encounter in question took place during the day at her invitation, and now that appears to be a deliberate setup.”
Shannon Sharpe Temporarily Steps Away From ESPN Duties
Since the sexual assault filing, Sharpe has decided to temporarily step down from his duties at ESPN. The three-time Super Bowl champion is a sports analyst on Stephen A. Smith's First Take.
“At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties,” Sharpe posted via his Instagram Story on Thursday April 24 afternoon. “I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”
Since Sharpe announced he was going to be stepping down for now, a second ex-girlfriend is also coming forward about her allegedly abusive relationship with the former NFL star.
