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In April, a woman filed a $50 million lawsuit alleging Shannon Sharpe had sexually assaulted and battered her on multiple occasions over the span of their two-year relationship. Sharpe’s attorney called it nothing more than a “shake down,” but on Friday the woman’s attorney announced that the former NFL tight end had settled the case.
“This lawsuit, filed by [Jane Doe] and orchestrated by her attorney Tony Buzbee, is a blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars,” Sharpe’s attorney wrote in April. “It is filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations — and it will not succeed.”
No more lawsuit
On Friday, the woman’s attorney Tony Buzbee wrote on X (Twitter), “After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution. All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.”
That means that as a result of the settlement, the woman is not allowed to sue Shannon Sharpe again for the same reasons. He was also not charged with any crime.
Both attorney Tony Buzbee and Sharpe’s attorney when the $50 million lawsuit was filed, Lanny Davis, declined to comment when asked to by The Athletic. Sharpe also, as of this report, has not commented on the settlement.
Previous allegations
In April, his own lawyer stated that Shannon Sharpe offered the woman “at least $10 million” to settle before she filed the civil lawsuit against him “without warning.” He also stated the they believe she decided to go forward with the lawsuit after learning about Sharpe’s “very lucrative” new contract for his Shay Shay Media Network, estimated to be worth more than $100 million.
That same month, another former girlfriend of Shannon Sharpe filed a $4 million lawsuit against him for discussing their legal issues on television. She reportedly filed a restraining order accusing him of sexual assault and stalking over an incident that occurred in September of 2010.
Also in April, a report was published that Sharpe had been accused of choking a female production assistant while he worked for Fox Sports. Sharpe and Fox Sports reportedly settled with the woman for several hundred thousand dollars. Shannon Sharpe’s representatives denied any wrongdoing, stating, “Fox Sports later chose to resolve the matter privately.”