Report: Shannon Sharpe accused of rape, facing major lawsuit

Former star NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe is facing some very disturbing allegations.

Per TMZ Sports, an unidentified woman in Nevada filed a lawsuit against Sharpe on Sunday in which Sharpe is accused of brutally sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions in late 2024 and early 2025. She is asking for more than $50 million in damages.

Reportedly, Jane Doe was in an abusive relationship with Sharpe that spanned years, and they met at a Los Angeles gym back in the year 2023.

According to Doe, she and Shape ultimately got into a consensual relationship after meeting, but she reports that it was verbally abusive and controlling.

“He demanded complete control over her time and body,” attorney Tony Buzbee wrote in the suit, “expecting her to be at his house on his schedule, at his command, whenever he called.”

The anonymous woman reports that she felt particularly unsafe during one incident when Sharpe yelled at her while a gun could be seen in the room.

She also tried to share her location with her friends via her iPhone, but when Sharpe saw that, he reportedly grabbed her by the throat and said that he would end her life if she tried such a move again.

The unidentified woman reports that she attempted to break up with Sharpe in light of him infamously getting caught having sex on Instagram Live, but according to her, that led to her being raped.

She reports that the first instance happened in October of last year and that she was crying and sobbing while he forced himself on her.

According to the lawsuit, the second instance took place at the beginning of this year. She reports that Sharpe visited her under the rouse that he was going to give her a Christmas and birthday gift but instead sexually assaulted her violently more than once.

TMZ has reached out to Sharpe about the case but has yet to receive a response.

Sharpe is long removed from his playing days in the NFL, as he last played in the league with the Denver Broncos in the 2003 season. But he remains a prominent figure in the sports world thanks to his television presence.

Considering Sharpe’s media presence, perhaps he will publicly respond to the allegations against him in the coming days on social media or live on the air. If he’s guilty of the accusations, he should face consequences for his actions, and if that’s the case, hopefully justice will be served for the woman whose identity is unknown.