NFL Hall of Famer and ESPN personality Shannon Sharpe has gone on the offensive in response to a $50 million (GBP £39.8 million) civil lawsuit filed against him in Nevada. The lawsuit, brought by a woman initially identified as ‘Jane Doe’, accuses Sharpe of sexual assault, battery and emotional distress during what she described as a ‘rocky consensual relationship’.
In a move reminiscent of actor Justin Baldoni (who publicly posted private exchanges between him and Blake Lively amid a tumultuous lawsuit), Sharpe has now revealed the accuser’s real name, Gabriella Zuniga, and released explicit text messages. His legal team claims the messages expose the consensual nature of the relationship, framing the legal action as a calculated ‘shakedown’.
READ MORE: Quick Facts About Shannon Sharpe: $50m Lawsuit, Net Worth, Kids, Dating Life and More
Accuser Named, Texts Released
In a statement issued by his attorney, Lanny J. Davis, Sharpe’s legal team argued that Zuniga’s lawsuit is ‘a blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars’. Davis provided multiple text messages allegedly sent by Zuniga, including one that read: ‘I know u miss this big juicy ass…$25k for each cheek.’ The message was dated 1 January 2025. According to Davis, the two had consensual contact again on 2 January, directly contradicting the timeline described in the legal complaint.
Another message quoted by Davis included: ‘I wanna put my tongue in your asshole and then marry u,’ which was reportedly sent on 12 January 2024. In another instance, Zuniga allegedly texted: ‘That’s my daddy f*** I want u to put a big black baby in me,’ on 6 August 2024.
These and other graphic messages were presented as evidence that the relationship between Sharpe and Zuniga was sexually consensual and involved mutual fantasy roleplay. Davis said: ‘The evidence paints a clear picture. This was a consensual relationship with mutual participation and communication. The false narrative being pushed by Ms. Zuniga does not match the documented facts,’ according to Baller Alert.
Allegations Paint A Darker Picture
Zuniga’s lawsuit, filed Sunday, alleges that Sharpe coerced and assaulted her on multiple occasions throughout their two-year relationship. She claims to have met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023, when she was 22. According to the complaint, Sharpe pressured her into a relationship and initially requested she sign a non-disclosure agreement, which she refused.
The lawsuit accuses Sharpe of berating her, threatening to kill her, and filming their sexual encounters without consent. One of the most serious claims includes an allegation that Sharpe forced her into oral and anal sex after pulling her into his home against her will. In another encounter detailed in the lawsuit, Zuniga alleges that Sharpe sexually assaulted her while refusing to wear a condom.
The complaint also points to a separate September 2024 incident, in which Sharpe accidentally live-streamed a sexual encounter with another woman. Though the woman heard in the audio was not Zuniga, the incident reportedly prompted her to distance herself from Sharpe. The woman is being represented by attorney Tony Buzbee, known for representing multiple women in lawsuits against NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson and music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Consent or Coercion? Legal Battle Escalates
Sharpe’s legal team further claimed that Zuniga had shown him a secretly recorded video of one of their intimate encounters, allegedly edited to portray the interaction as non-consensual. Davis asserted that Zuniga has so far refused to hand over the full, unedited version of the tape.
‘We believe the video has been heavily edited and taken entirely out of context, crafted to falsely portray a consensual act as non-consensual,’ Davis said. ‘Mr. Sharpe now believes her secret taping was part of a blackmail scheme.’
Despite the gravity of the accusations, Sharpe has denied all wrongdoing and maintained that the entire relationship was consensual. ‘He will not submit to what he sees as an egregious attempt at blackmail,’ Davis said.
Hall Of Fame Legacy Under Fire
Sharpe played 14 seasons in the NFL for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens, securing three Super Bowl titles and eight Pro Bowl appearances. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and has since built a lucrative career in sports media.
He currently hosts the popular podcast ‘Club Shay Shay’ and recently joined ESPN’s ‘First Take’ alongside Stephen A. Smith.
