On April 20, 2025, Tony Buzbee, the lawyer behind the Deshaun Watson misconduct lawsuits and the now-dropped lawsuit filed in opposition to Jay-Z, filed a civil lawsuit in opposition to Shannon Sharpe alleging sexual assault and battery in Clark County, Nevada.
The lawsuit is in search of $50 million in damages. The grievance, filed by a “Jane Doe,” accused Sharpe of bodily and emotional abuse, which included alleged rape on two events, in October 2024 and January 2025. This lawsuit comes days after it was reported that Sharpe was nearing a $100 million podcast deal for his standard podcast Membership Shay Shay, as reported by Entrance Workplace Sports activities. Right here’s the whole lot you must know in regards to the case up to now.
In accordance with Jane Doe, Sharpe turned abusive after being caught dishonest on Instagram dwell with a girl named “Michelle.”
In response, Sharpe’s authorized counsel, Lanny J. Davis, issued an announcement vehemently denying the allegations, which named Jane Doe as Sharpe’s ex-girlfriend, Gabriella Zuniga, an OnlyFans mannequin who met Sharpe at a health club in 2023.
Davis known as the lawsuit a “blatant and cynical try and shake down” Sharpe for a big sum of cash, asserting that the connection was consensual, and that the lawsuit is “stuffed with lies, distortions and misrepresentations,” pinpointing a consensual sexual encounter that had been videotaped with out Sharpe’s information or consent.
Sharpe’s authorized staff additionally launched alleged textual content messages between Sharpe and the plaintiff, which appeared to purport a relationship that included position play and violently express communication. Zuniga’s legal professional countered these claims, releasing an audio clip allegedly that includes Sharpe threatening the plaintiff.
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Sharpe immediately addressed the scenario in an Instagram submit, stating that Zuniga and her authorized counsel have been partaking in a shakedown to extort tens of thousands and thousands from the Membership Shay Shay podcast and ESPN’s First Take host. Sharpe accused Buzbee of focusing on Black males by way of his authorized follow and said his intention to file a defamation lawsuit in opposition to each the plaintiff and Buzbee.
In a convention name held on April 22, Sharpe’s authorized counsel admitted that his staff had supplied Zuniga $10 million to settle the case earlier than the lawsuit was filed.
As a civil case, there are not any direct prison implications for Sharpe at this stage.
