Shannon Sharpe is preparing to take legal action against the woman who recently accused him of rape, stating he plans to sue her for defamation following the allegations made in a lawsuit she filed on Sunday.
The ESPN commentator addressed the situation in a video shared to his Instagram Tuesday morning, just after the accuser’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, released an audio recording to TMZ Sports. Buzbee claims the clip captures Sharpe using language that is “disturbing, aggressive, and dangerous” toward his client.
In his response, Sharpe labeled the lawsuit a “shakedown,” accusing Buzbee of engineering an attempt to extort him. He went on to assert that Buzbee “targets Black men” and said he expects the lawyer to release an edited 30-second clip of a sex tape to portray him in a negative light.
“That video’s about 10 minutes long,” Sharpe said. “Tony, instead of putting out your edited version, release the whole thing. I don’t have the footage, or I would. You know the full story, and you’re twisting it for the media. The encounter she’s referring to happened during the day and at her request — now it looks like it was a setup.”
Sharpe did not specifically respond to the audio recording released by Buzbee, but closed his video by vowing to pursue legal action against both the attorney and the accuser.
“I’m taking this to court,” said the Pro Football Hall of Famer. “This is defamation. This is an attempt to bring me down. But my fans and my family know what’s really going on. I’ll keep speaking my truth, just like always. I appreciate all of you.”
In her lawsuit, the woman — identified only as Jane Doe — claims Sharpe raped her multiple times between late 2024 and early 2025. She says the incidents occurred after she tried to end their two-year relationship amid infidelity concerns.
Buzbee, for his part, said Tuesday he’s eager to bring the matter before the courts, where “truth will matter more than a public image or media spin.”
Sign Up
