Shannon Sharpe Faces Court Hearing in Ongoing Sexual Assault Lawsuit

NFL Hall of Famer and sports commentator Shannon Sharpe has yet to formally respond to a civil lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault, with a court hearing now set for July 9 in Clark County, Nevada.

According to NBC Sports, court records indicate that attorneys on both sides have filed several motions, and a hearing is scheduled to address three separate motions to associate counsel at 10:00 a.m. local time. The hearing was previously scheduled for June 30.

The $50 million lawsuit, filed by a woman who alleges Sharpe assaulted, battered, and manipulated her during their relationship, is moving forward after Sharpe missed the typical 30-day window to respond. While Sharpe publicly declared the relationship was “100% consensual” and initially threatened to countersue, he has not yet submitted an official response in court.

Sharpe made a public statement in April, sharing a screenshot of a text message and confirming he’d temporarily stepped away from his ESPN duties amid the allegations. He also claimed he had previously offered the plaintiff $10 million to settle before the case became public.

Further complicating matters, the plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, released an audio recording in which a male voice alleged to be Sharpe can be heard threatening violence in a sexual context.

Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny Davis, described the relationship as consensual and involving “role-playing, sexual language and fantasy scenarios,” asserting that Sharpe’s words were not meant literally.

Sharpe has stated plans to return to ESPN ahead of the NFL preseason, but with the Hall of Fame Game set for July 31 and court proceedings now underway, it remains uncertain if he’ll be back on air by then.