A $50-million lawsuit that accused Shannon Sharpe of rape has been settled.
Attorney Tony Buzbee, whose firm represented a Jane Doe, who filed the civil lawsuit against the retired NFL star and sports media personality earlier this year, announced the settlement on Friday afternoon in a statement posted on Instagram.
“After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution,” Buzbee wrote. “All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.”
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Sharpe’s legal team confirmed to The Times that a settlement had been reached and that Buzbee’s statement should be considered the “final word” on the matter.
According to the lawsuit, filed on April 20 in Clark County, Nev., Sharpe and his accuser met at a Los Angeles gym in 2023, when he was 54 and she was 20. They ended up having “a rocky consensual relationship that lasted nearly two years,” the lawsuit stated.
Sharpe’s accuser sought damages for claims of assault, sexual assault, battery, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress after multiple alleged non-consensual sexual encounters in her Las Vegas apartment between October and January.
Sharpe has denied the allegations. One of his attorneys, Lanny J. Davis, told reporters in April that Sharpe had offered his accuser “at least $10 million” to settle the case in mediation, but the offer was declined.
Days after the lawsuit was filed, Sharpe announced that he was temporarily stepping away from his duties as a commentator on ESPN’s “First Take” but would return in time for the 2025 NFL season. Sharpe has remained on his popular podcasts “Club Shay Shay” and “Nightcap.”
