Shannon Sharpe offers accuser $10 million to settle sexual assault lawsuit, attorney says

Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe denied allegations against him after an ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault and sought $50 million in a lawsuit filed on Sunday.

His attorney said Tuesday the ESPN broadcaster offered her $10 million to settle. She declined the offer.

“This is a shakedown,” Sharpe said this week on Instagram. “I’m going to be open, transparent and defend myself.”

Lanny Davis, who is representing Sharpe, said the plaintiff has fabricated the claims and created misleading videos that portray at least one of their sexual encounters as nonconsensual. 

“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,” Davis said. “It is filled with lies, distortions and misrepresentations — and it will not succeed.”

After a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, Davis named Sharpe’s accuser — who was identified only as Jane Doe in the lawsuit — and shared text messages between the two. 

Sharpe’s counsel claimed that the pair had “a consensual, adult relationship that included role-playing, sexual language and fantasy scenarios explicitly requested” by the woman. 

Buzbee, according to several reports, has an audio recording that features Sharpe threatening to “choke the s—- out of” the woman.

“I believe the plaintiff is intentionally falsifying what happened,” Davis said.

One day before the lawsuit, Front Office Sports reported that Sharpe received partnership offers worth $100 million for his growing media empire, which features the popular podcasts “Club Shay Shay” and “Nightcap.” His previous deal with Colin Cowherd’s network, The Volume, ended this year.

“My career is all about real talk and honesty,” Sharpe said. “I know my family and fans will know exactly what this is about, and I’m going to be out there telling you whatever I need to say, just like I always do.”

ESPN staple Stephen A. Smith, who recruited Sharpe to the network, said he’s unsure how the company will handle the allegations. 

“I have no idea what direction ESPN and Disney will go in when it comes to this matter,” Smith said on his YouTube show. “There are bosses. That’s the situation that, unfortunately, Shannon Sharpe finds himself in at this particular moment in time.”