Shannon Sharpe sued for US$50 million over alleged sexual assault, battery

NFL legend turned popular commentator Shannon Sharpe is facing a US$50 million lawsuit from a woman over alleged sexual assault and battery, according to US media reports.

“Jane Doe” filed the suit in Nevada on Sunday, alleging assault, sexual assault, battery, sexual battery, and intentionally inflicting emotional distress.

The Club Shay Shay podcast host allegedly met the complainant at a gym when she was 19 in 2023, before relentlessly pursuing her via calls and texts demanding her to visit him at his mansion.

The two ultimately were engaged in a “consensual rocky relationship” for two years, but she alleges several things occurred that she didn’t consent to, according to reports.

It is further alleged that Sharpe recorded the couple’s sexual activities without her knowledge, and also shared the videos with others without her permission or knowledge. According to reports, the complaint claims that she was not the woman with whom Sharpe was having sex when he "accidentally" livestreamed the encounter on Instagram.

However, the complainant reportedly alleged that the infamous incident was when she "began to pull away from Sharpe." It is alleged that he relentlessly pursued her after she stopped answering her phone or sharing her whereabouts.

According to the reports, it was further alleged that Sharpe subsequently confronted the woman in October 2024, and the ensuing encounter culminated in alleged forcible sex against her consent.

It is reportedly alleged that another incident occurred in January 2025, when it is claimed that Sharpe engaged in unprotected sex with the plaintiff, despite her efforts to get him either to stop or to wear a condom.

Sharpe, one of the most successful podcasters in the world, was up to last week expected to sign a new deal exceeding US$100 million.