Shannon Sharpe's rape accuser makes shock decision in $50m lawsuit against ESPN analyst
By OLIVER SALT
Published: 10:42 EDT, 29 April 2025 | Updated: 11:12 EDT, 29 April 2025
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Shannon Sharpe's rape accuser will not be releasing a video that allegedly depicts the pair having sex, her lawyer has reportedly claimed.
According to TMZ Sports, attorney Tony Buzbee has revealed they have no plans to post the footage on social media as it is 'key evidence' in her $50million lawsuit against the former NFL star.
'The only reason you know about the existence of a video recording is that Mr. Sharpe specifically referenced it in his bulls*** statement,' Buzbee is quoted as saying. 'The contents of the video was shared during the mediation process with Sharpe’s attorneys.
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'Again, Sharpe and his team disclosed that, not us. Sharpe himself was offered on more than one occasion to view it himself. He declined. We've never made any claims or threats about it and won't do so.'
'And no,' he added, 'we won’t be 'releasing' the video as it is key evidence in the case and will be treated as such.'
Sharpe, 56, is facing accusations of rape from an ex-girlfriend he first met when she was only 19, while another woman has told the Daily Mail about separate allegations of sexual assault.
Shannon Sharpe's rape accuser will not release a video allegedly depicting the pair having sex
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Shannon Sharpe's rape accuser will not release a video allegedly depicting the pair having sex
The ESPN analyst has been hit by a $50m rape lawsuit from one of his former girlfriends
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The ESPN analyst has been hit by a $50m rape lawsuit from one of his former girlfriends
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Stephen A Smith launches surprise attack on Shannon Sharpe as explosive rape fiasco tears ESPN apart
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After being hit by the lawsuit, the ESPN personality's legal team accused the plaintiff of secretly recording a 'consensual' sexual encounter with the intention of editing and misrepresenting it for use in her case against him.
'In her effort to extract a large financial settlement, [Jane Doe] presented Mr. Sharpe with a secretly recorded video of a consensual sexual encounter,' the statement read.
'We believe the video has been heavily edited and taken entirely out of context, crafted to falsely portray a consensual act as non-consensual. [Jane Doe] has refused to provide a copy of the full, unedited version of the recording to Mr. Sharpe's legal team.'
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Sharpe, who won Super Bowls as an NFL tight end, denies the allegations of rape and initially continued with his scheduled appearances on ESPN's First Take last week.
On Thursday, however, Sharpe announced that he was temporarily stepping aside from his TV duties amid the ongoing scandal.
After further allegations were detailed by the Daily Mail, his lawyers released a furious statement last Friday saying their client 'intends to fight back against these malicious lies' and is looking forward to his 'day in court' against his accusers.
On Thursday, a separate accuser had come forward in a bombshell interview with the Daily Mail to detail disturbing parallels between the $50m rape lawsuit and her own 15-year legal battle with the NFL great.
'I was triggered, totally triggered,' Michele Evans, now 52, said of Sharpe's denials. 'I believed her right away. How could I not after going through what I've been through?'
Evans claimed she became romantically involved with the Denver Broncos tight end in the early 2000s when she was working as a local television reporter covering the team.
Sharpe's future at ESPN is under intensifying scrutiny after the developments last week
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Sharpe's future at ESPN is under intensifying scrutiny after the developments last week
The 56-year-old has also been accused of rape by a separate woman in Michele Evans (left)
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The 56-year-old has also been accused of rape by a separate woman in Michele Evans (left)
But Evans' relationship with Sharpe came to an abrupt end in 2010 when he raped her orally and vaginally, according to legal filings.
A Sharpe spokesman told the Daily Mail on Thursday that her 'claims are ridiculous and completely without merit.'
And his attorneys continued on Friday: 'It should be of no surprise that when someone famous is in the news, all sorts of people crawl out of the woodwork to share their connection to that person in an attempt to profit from that alleged relationship.
'In many cases those stories or accusations are nothing more than old news, fanciful exaggerations, or sometimes blatant misrepresentations of fact.'
The statement continued: 'Sadly, Ms. Evans became obsessed with Shannon and decided to manufacture a claim against him.
'When she could not find a lawyer to pursue her outrageous story, she filed a civil complaint on her own that is completely devoid of merit'.
When announcing his decision to step away from ESPN, Sharpe stressed that the allegations against him are 'false and disruptive.'
Sharpe with another of his former ex-girlfriends, fitness trainer Katy Kellner, in February 2012. Kellner isn't the woman suing Sharpe in Nevada and has made no public claims about him
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Sharpe with another of his former ex-girlfriends, fitness trainer Katy Kellner, in February 2012. Kellner isn't the woman suing Sharpe in Nevada and has made no public claims about him
'My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual,' he said.
'At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties.
'I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.
'I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues.'
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