Shannon Sharpe Settles $50 Million Rape Lawsuit

Shannon Sharpe at the NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 22, 2025 in Los Angeles - Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Former NFL player and media personality Shannon Sharpe has settled a lawsuit with a former partner who had accused him of rape. On Thursday, the woman’s lawyer shared on social media that they had reached an agreement and the lawsuit would be dismissed.

“Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship,” the plaintiff’s attorney Tony Buzbee said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “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.”

More from Rolling Stone

Kanye West Accused of Sexual Assault in Former Assistant's Amended Lawsuit

Ed Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud' Copyright Lawsuit Won't Go to Supreme Court

Eric Church Says He Was Once Pulled into Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off' Legal Case Over a Lyric

AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_2csadkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_4csadkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe

At the time of the lawsuit, in November, Sharpe announced he would take a temporary leave from his role at ESPN, writing in a statement online that the relationship in question was “100% consensual,” calling the allegations “false and disruptive.”

“I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason,” he wrote at the time. “I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, friends and colleagues.” Sharpe has not appeared on ESPN since April.

Thecivil complaint filed in Nevada by a Jane Doe plaintiffclaimed that Sharpe allegedly assaulted her during a “rocky consensual relationship that lasted nearly two years” that began in 2023 when she was 19 years old. The $50 million lawsuit claimed that Sharpe “violently sexually assaulted and anally raped Plaintiff two different times” in October 2024. The complaint also alleged that Sharpe would record and share videos of his sexual encounters with Doe without her consent or knowledge.

In the days following the lawsuit’s filing, lawyers for both sides have leaked text messages and audio recordings between Sharpe and Doevia outlets like TMZ.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_2osadkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_4osadkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe

A rep for Sharpe did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.

Best of Rolling Stone

Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best

The United States of Weed

Gaming Levels Up

Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.