Shannon Sharpe maintains he has done nothing wrong after accusations of sexual assault and rape from an ex-girlfriend have resurfaced.
Allegations against Sharpe are mounting. The latest comes from Michele Bundy Evans, who sued Sharpe in New York in 2023, alleging the NFL Hall of Famer sexually assaulted her more than a decade ago. Evans filed a $4 million defamation lawsuit over things Sharpe allegedly said on TV after she obtained a restraining order against him in 2010. Sharpe briefly stepped away from his then-role with CBS Sports amid the 2010 accusations.
The lawsuit resurfaced in the same week when Sharpe was accused of sexual assault by a woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe in a $50 million civil lawsuit. Sharpe has since named his accuser and denied her claims. Friday morning, a member of Sharpe’s legal team, Mitchell Schuster, issued a lengthy statement to address the resurfaced accusations from Evans.
“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. They are shared on social media or fed to reporters with intentional factual omissions and no regard for the truth. This is obviously purposeful, designed to create a fabricated narrative. This is exactly what is happening to Shannon Sharpe and the resurrection of the case involving Michele Evans is a perfect example,” the statement reads.
“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. The fact is that Shannon has had no contact with this person for many years and it is our understanding that she is still on probation after serving 3 years in prison for trying to kill her husband so that she could hopefully pursue a relationship with Shannon.”
Evans’ legal complaint was referenced in the latest lawsuit against Sharpe, filed April 20, 2025, under the identity of Jane Doe. The statement from Sharpe’s legal team claimed his current accuser is “following in Ms. Evans’ footsteps.” It also explained the Shay Shay Media founder’s previous attempt at paying $10 million to his current accuser.
“While Shannon was willing to pay her a substantial amount of money to avoid the intimate details of his personal life from being exposed, as many high-profile individuals often do when they are being threatened, that is no longer the case. This is a shakedown, pure and simple and we have the evidence to prove it.”
The statement from Sharpe’s legal team also insists the decision to “temporarily” step away from ESPN was his, and not the network’s. Sharpe announced immediate plans to step away from his ESPN responsibilities Thursday afternoon.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, Shannon Sharpe was not terminated by ESPN, but he has elected to step away for a temporary period of time from his duties so that he can focus on his family and the frivolous claim filed against him. ESPN agreed with his decision and Shannon plans to return to his role at ESPN for the NFL season.”
While Sharpe claims to have stepped away from ESPN to focus on his family, he has issued no plans to pause hosting his Shay Shay Media podcasts, which likely command more of his time than the four hours he spent on First Take each week.
Last week, it was reported that Sharpe’s Shay Shay Media could be in line for a $100 million deal as his contract with The Volume comes to an end.
In the days since, Sharpe has been accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit seeking $50 million in damages. A 2023 lawsuit citing 2010 accusations against Sharpe has resurfaced. A previously unreported incident that allegedly occurred at FS1, where Sharpe was accused of choking a female production assistant, was reported on. And Sharpe has “temporarily” walked away from ESPN.
Sharpe has denied all allegations.