Shannon Sharpe hit with fresh $20m lawsuit after being fired by ESPN
By OLIVER SALT
Shannon Sharpe is at the center of a new $20million lawsuit after being accused of defamation by a woman who went viral for her behavior at an Usher concert earlier this year.
The former NFL tight end and TV personality, who was fired by ESPN this week, recently settled a $50million rape lawsuit filed against him by one of his ex-girlfriends back in April.
Despite the settlement, ESPN have relieved Sharpe, 57, of his duties almost two years since prizing him away from rivals Fox Sports.
And according to The US Sun, he has now been hit with a new lawsuit after being sued for $20m by Jimalita Tillman - a woman from Chicago who went viral after a flirty moment with Usher at one of his concerts in April.
Tillman - who is said to be suing Sharpe, his 'Nightcap' podcast co-host Chad Johnson and its production company, Shay Shay Media - alleges the hosts knowingly peddled a false narrative about her marital status.
Her steamy interaction with Usher caused a stir on social media at the time, with fans picking up on the intensity between them at the concert.
Shannon Sharpe is at the center of a new $20million lawsuit after being accused of defamation
Jimalita Tillman has sued Sharpe for his comments on her flirty interaction with Usher in April
The former ESPN star claimed Tillman's husband was leaving her after the steamy moment at Usher's concert, which went viral online. She alleges that she was not married at the time
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Though despite her claims that she is not married, Sharpe and Johnson joked that Tillman's 'husband' was divorcing on the back of the viral clip.
In court papers, she reportedly alleged: 'On April 2, 2025 I participated in a fan engagement moment at a Usher Raymond concert where I interacted with the artist as a selected audience member.
'Following this event, the defendants made and disseminated false and defamatory statements suggesting that I was married and that my husband was filing for divorce due to my participation in this audience experience, I am not married, nor am I currently going through a divorce.
Tillman continued: 'I was not married at the time of the fan participation moment during the Usher concert.
'The defendants' false narratives were shared widely across their platforms, reaching millions of followers, viral spread and refutation efforts, despite my clear and public reputation of the false narrative.'
Tillman, a single mother and global director for the Harold Washington Cultural Center, claims she went on national media shows to refute the allegations made by Sharpe and Johnson.
'The defendants continued to post the defamatory content across their social media platforms,' she added. 'I made numerous efforts to contact the defendants to request the removal of this false narrative, but these requests were disregarded.'
Tillman said the false statements have caused 'significant harm to my character and reputation.' She is reportedly seeking $20m in damages.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Shannon Sharpe's legal team for comment.
Sharpe and podcast co-host Chad Johnson (right) have both been sued by the Chicago native
Earlier this week Sharpe was fired by ESPN in the wake of his settled $50million rape lawsuit
Sharpe was previously sued for defamation by Brett Favre over comments he made about the Green Bay Packers legend's connection to a welfare misspending case during an episode of Fox Sports' Undisputed in 2022.
Favre characterized the comments as 'egregiously false.' However, a judge dismissed the case against him in 2022 after ruling that they were protected under the US Constitution.
Sharpe has been embroiled in controversy this year after a woman, identified as one of his ex-girlfriends, accused him of raping her on two occasions over the course of their relationship in a bombshell lawsuit.
The First Take star, who denied the allegations, stepped away from his part-time duties with ESPN and vowed to return later in the year once he had proved his innocence.
Yet just weeks after the accuser reached a settlement and retracted the allegations, it was revealed on Wednesday that he has been fired by ESPN after almost two years.
Sharpe addressed his shock departure later in the evening, saying at the start of his 'Nightcap' podcast : 'Obviously, I'm sure everybody's heard the news by now that I will not be returning to ESPN.
'I found out this information a little earlier in the week, and really the only thing that I really asked is, "Guys, could we wait until Monday? My brother's going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I really want it to be about him and I want it to be about my family."
The former NFL tight end was accused of raping one of his ex-girlfriends on two occasions
'I said, "This coming out will overshadow everything he's worked his entire life for." And unfortunately it didn't happen that way.'
Sharpe's younger brother, Sterling, is set to be officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at an enshrinement ceremony in Canton, Ohio next week, 14 years after his older sibling received the same honor.
Sterling, 60, spent all seven years of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, where he became a five-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro wide receiver while leading the league in receptions in three separate seasons. Shannon is a three-time Super Bowl champion who enjoyed two successful stints with the Denver Broncos and a brief spell with the Baltimore Ravens in his 13-year career.
After stressing that he 'really enjoyed' his time with ESPN and that he was 'very, very grateful for the opportunity', Sharpe stressed that he was disappointed to upstage his brother with the news of his axing.
'They did what they felt they needed to do, and I'm at peace with that,' he added about his now-former employers. 'But I just wish this thing could have waited until Monday, because I hate the fact that I've overshadowed my brother.
'The first two brothers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and this is what the headline's gonna be for the next few days.'
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