Shannon Sharpe responds to audio recording with lawsuit

The legal fight involving Pro Football Hall of Famer and well-known sports media figure Shannon Sharpe got much more intense this week after the accuser’s lawyer released an audio recording. The recording seems to show Sharpe making violent threats against the woman who has accused him of rape, but Sharpe is fighting back.

Warning: Very graphic language and descriptions below of rape and sexual assault

Apparently, the lawyer who put out the original video of Shannon Sharpe is putting out a second video, a sex tape. Shannon Sharp asked for the full video to be released. He claims on X that what was released was only part of the video. He called it a “shakedown,” and is countersuing for defamation.

This isn’t the first person who Attorney Tony Buzbee has gone after. Even Jay Z is suing the lawyer for defamation. Both Jay Z and Sharpe are claiming that this is extortion.

Shannon Sharpe countersuing for defamation

The sex tape has not been released, but apparently it will be. The original audio recording of Sharpe paints a disturbing picture of Sharpe’s alleged behavior. The recording appears to capture a heated conversation between Sharpe and Jane Doe, where Jane Doe expresses discomfort with the situation. The accusor’s lawyer sent the video to TMZ alongside other outlets.

In the video, Sharpe allegedly threatened to physically harm her, specifically saying he would choke her. The exact timing and context of this conversation in relation to the alleged assaults are still unclear, though Buzbee argues it shows the nature of the relationship right before the alleged attacks.

As reported by Front Office Sports, the timing of the audio release is important because it came after Davis tried to discredit the accuser’s claims. Releasing the audio has shifted public attention toward the alleged threats, adding another layer of complexity to an already explosive case.

Sharpe’s legal team, led by attorney Lanny Davis, has strongly denied all accusations of rape and misconduct, calling the lawsuit an attempt at extortion to get millions of dollars. Davis released text messages ahead of time that he says were sent from Jane Doe to Sharpe, arguing that these messages show a consensual relationship and were sent before the alleged attacks.

Buzbee filed the lawsuit on behalf of a woman only identified as Jane Doe. It claims that Sharpe raped her twice in an anal assault after they met at a Los Angeles gym in 2023.