July 7, 2025
Shannon Sharpe is headed to court over the $50 million sexual assault lawsuit he claims is full of “lies.”
Shannon Sharpe has not responded to the civil complaint filed by a woman accusing him of sexual assault, so it’s been given a hearing date set for July 9.
The Clark County, Nevada, civil court database shows multiple filings related to the attorneys involved in Sharpe’s case, NBC Sports reports. A hearing on three separate motions to associate counsel is now scheduled for July 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. local time, after being previously set for June 30.
In the $50 million lawsuit, the woman accuses the Hall of Fame tight end of sexual assault, battery, and using his celebrity status to manipulate and control her during their relationship. Sharpe has yet to submit an official response to the complaint, despite previously threatening a counterclaim against the plaintiff.
This follows his decision to post a screenshot of a text message as a public statement and his attorney’s disclosure that he had offered the plaintiff $10 million to settle the matter before the lawsuit went public.
“The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe said in April. “At this juncture, I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, released audio where Sharpe could be heard threatening to “choke the (expletive) out of” her. The female voice in the call replied, “I don’t wanna be choked,” and the voice alleged to be Sharpe said, “Yes, you do. I don’t think you have a choice in the matter.”
Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny Davis, said his client and the plaintiff were engaged in “a consensual, adult relationship that included role-playing, sexual language and fantasy scenarios.” He also said that Sharpe didn’t mean the words literally.
When releasing his statement, Sharpe announced his leave from ESPN and plans to return at the start of the NFL preseason. However, since he has not responded to the civil complaint, which is typically required within 30 days of being served in most jurisdictions, the case is now proceeding to court.
While Sharpe previously said he’d return to ESPN before the NFL preseason kicks off, with the Hall of Fame Game set for July 31 and his case still in the early stages, it’s unclear if he’ll actually be back by month’s end.
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