The $50 million lawsuit accusing ESPN personality Shannon Sharpe of sexual assault has apparently been resolved.
On Friday, Tony Buzbee, the lawyer for Sharpe’s accuser, announced on social media that the two sides had reached an agreement resolving the matter and that the lawsuit would be dismissed.
“On April 20, 2025, The Buzbee Law Firm filed a complaint in Nevada making several allegations against Shannon Sharpe on behalf of our client,” Buzbee wrote on X. “Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship. 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. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.”
Buzbee, who previously represented many of the women who accused Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct, did not mention the terms of the resolution. Specifically, whether or not Sharpe made any financial compensation. The former NFL player’s lawyer, Lanny J. Davis, previously admitted that Sharpe had offered the accuser $10 million to avoid the lawsuit.
Awful Announcing has reached out to Sharpe’s legal team for comment or clarification.
This resolution comes a little over two months after Sharpe’s accuser filed the $50 million lawsuit, accusing the Hall of Fame tight end of “assault, sexual assault, battery, and sexual battery” when she was 19. The 57-year-old Sharpe categorically denied the allegations and referred to the lawsuit as an “egregious attempt at blackmail” while threatening to countersue.
While briefly remaining on ESPN airwaves, he ultimately opted to temporarily step away from First Take as his legal team released salacious text messages and publicly identified the accuser, who responded by releasing voicemails that depicted Sharpe threatening her. While not appearing on ESPN, he has continued to release new episodes of his Nightcap podcast.
We await official word from Clark County District Court Judge Anna Albertson regarding the dismissal of the case.
The big question is whether Sharpe will return to First Take now that the legal matter has been resolved. Stephen A. Smith said he was “torn” over Sharpe’s response to the lawsuit when it was initially filed, and later made it clear that it would not be just his call if and when his First Take co-host might return.