NFL Hall of famer and ESPN personality Shannon Sharpe has announced a temporary departure from his broadcasting duties at the network, as he faces a civil lawsuit alleging multiple instances of sexual assault.

The lawsuit, filed in Nevada State Court, seeks $50 million in damages and accuses sharpe of both physical abuse and the unauthorized recording of sexual encounters. 

The legal action comes from a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she began a “rocky consensual relationship” with Sharpe in 2023 after meeting him at a Los Angeles gym when she was 19. 

According to court filings, the most serious incidents allegedly took place in Las Vegas in October 2024, during which the plaintiff accuses sharpe of violent sexual assault and rape. 

Another alleged assault is said to have occurred in January 2025, after which the woman claims she fled the state.

Sharpe  strongly denies the allegations and in a statement released earlier this week, his attorney, Lanny J. Davis characterized the lawsuit as an opportunistic attempt to extort money.

Sharpe’s legal team maintains the relationship was entirely consensual and is preparing a defense against what they claim is a meritless lawsuit.