The attorney for the woman accusing Shannon Sharpe of rape has released an audio file of Sharpe threatening to “choke the shit” out of her.
Sunday, the lawyer Tony Buzbee filed a lawsuit on behalf of a woman going by the pseudonym “Jane Doe” in which Sharpe was accused of anally raping her. The suit claimed the two met at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023 and that the relationship grew tense when Sharpe went on Instagram Live while apparently having sex with another woman.
In the aftermath of the incident, the suit alleged, Sharpe anally raped the plaintiff twice.
“Mr. Sharpe categorically denies all allegations of coercion or misconduct—especially the gross lie of ‘rape’—and will not submit to what he sees as an egregious attempt at blackmail,” wrote Lanny Davis, Sharpe’s attorney. “He stands firmly by the truth and is prepared to fight these false claims vigorously in court. He looks forward to vindication through due process and a judgment based on the facts and the law.”
Davis told Front Office Sports on Monday night that Sharpe and his legal team decided to respond immediately and publicly rather than letting what he calls a false charge of rape stand in the court of public opinion.
“This lawsuit, filed by [Jane Doe] and orchestrated by her attorney Tony Buzbee, is a blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars,” said Davis in his statement. “It is filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations—and it will not succeed.” Davis named the woman in his statement; Sharpe denies raping her.
On Tuesday, Buzbee emailed media outlets, including FOS, an audio file purporting to include a conversation between Sharpe and the plaintiff. In the recording, the plaintiff said she thought Sharpe was going to get mad and hang up on her. Sharpe said he would not and that “it is what it is.”
She asked what that meant. Sharpe responded, “Nothing. … You want to be a dick to me now, so …”
“I don’t want to be. Don’t manipulate me,” the plaintiff said.
This is where Sharpe allegedly threatened violence. “Ah, lord have mercy. If you say that word one more time, I’m gonna fucking choke the shit out of you when I see you,” he said. “Thank you.”
There were several long pauses.
“I don’t … want to be choked,” the plaintiff said.
Sharpe allegedly responded, “Yes, you do. I don’t think you have a choice in the matter.”
In an email to reporters, Buzbee said, “The attached audio reveals the nature of Sharpe’s relationship with Jane Doe immediately prior to the alleged assault.” It’s not clear whether the audio represents a complete conversation between her and Sharpe, or in what context the conversation occurred.
In a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Davis said the released audio was “edited in a warped and distorted way.” He challenged Buzbee to send the recording to a neutral third party who could determine if it was edited or tampered with.
Earlier this week, Davis, Sharpe’s attorney, released a series of lurid text messages from the accuser to Sharpe. Buzbee said that these messages “occurred before the alleged rape at issue in the case.”
Davis referenced those texts again Tuesday, including one that mentioned a “dog collar.” But he admitted that the audio recording released by Buzbee was from an “argument” and that “Mr. Sharpe spoke in the heat of the moment” in a way that was “not intended.”
Sharpe is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the top stars in sports media. His Shay Shay Media podcast group had been expected to reach a nine-figure deal in the coming months, FOS reported last week. Sharpe also regularly appears on ESPN’s First Take alongside Stephen A. Smith, and he was on the program Monday and Tuesday this week amid the litigation.
Sharpe is not expected to appear on First Take from Wednesday through Friday. Sources close to ESPN described those as previously scheduled days off.
ESPN declined to comment on the lawsuit.
