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Former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe.
While former Denver Broncos tight end and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe’s legal woes might be behind him, the media career he put on pause might not be there for him when he tries to go back to it.
Sharpe stepped away from ESPN after he was accused of sexual assault and battery in a lawsuit in Nevada civil court in April, with the intention of coming back in the NFL preseason, but it’s not clear if he’ll be back at the Worldwide Leader after Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported he’s settled the lawsuit on July 18.
“Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe offered, per his lawyer, at least $10 million to settle a sexual assault claim before a lawsuit was filed in April 2025,” Florio wrote. “Now, Sharpe will be paying an amount that likely exceeds $10 million. By more than a few bucks.”
From ESPN on April 24: “According to the complaint, Sharpe became increasingly verbally abusive, controlling and violent over time, once threatening to kill the woman and recording their sexual encounters without consent.”
The news of the settlement came after a statement released by the accuser’s attorney, Tony Buzbee.
From Buzbee’s statement: “On April 20, 2025, The Buzbee Law Firm filed a complaint in Nevada making several allegations against Shannon Sharpe on behalf of our client. 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.”
Sharpe has denied all of the allegations.
Buzbee Represented Clients in Previous NFL Lawsuit
NFL fans might remember Buzbee, a Texas-based attorney, as the lawyer who represented 21 clients who accused Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct.
In 2021, Watson was accused of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and sexual assault by over 2 dozen female massage therapists and ultimately settled 20 of those lawsuits. Watson was suspended 11 games by the NFL in 2022 after an investigation into the allegations.
Buzbee has also represented clients suing rapper Travis Scott after the Astroworld tragedy in Houston in 2021 that resulted in 10 deaths, and currently represents over 50 clients who are suing rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs for sexual abuse.
Sharpe Previously Accused of Sexual Assault
Sharpe, a 3-time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos and Baltimore Ravens, has previously been accused of misconduct — both during his time at CBS Sports and his time at Fox Sports before coming to ESPN.
Sharpe is also the host of the popular “Club Shay Shay” podcast.
From Front Office Sports:”Before Sharpe’s time at ESPN, when he was the cohost of FS1’s Undisputed, he was accused of choking a female production assistant in the workplace… One source said Sharpe and Fox settled with the accuser for several hundred thousand dollars. There was no lawsuit filed against Sharpe in the incident … In 2010, Sharpe briefly stepped away from his role on CBS’s NFL Today studio show after he was accused of sexual assault. He returned to the network after a restraining order was dismissed.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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