Former Broncos TE Shannon Sharpe accused of rape in $50 million civil lawsuit

LAS VEGAS A young woman who says she was raped and threatened by retired NFL member Shannon Sharpe during a rocky consensual relationship has filed a civil lawsuit against him seeking million in damages Attorneys filed the lawsuit Sunday in Clark County Nevada for a woman listed in court documents as Jane Doe The lawsuit also accuses Sharpe of using physical force on her and inflicting emotional distress The woman first met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles in when she was and a nearly two-year relationship followed according to court documents Sharpe is accused of raping the woman in October and again in January court documents revealed Sharpe on Monday posted a declaration from his lawyer on X saying the relationship was consensual and calling the lawsuit a blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Sharpe for millions of dollars It is filled with lies distortions and misrepresentations and it will not succeed Lanny J Davis explained in the message posted by Sharpe Sharpe is accused of becoming increasingly verbally abusive controlling and violent over time once threatening to kill her and recording their sexual encounters without consent according to the complaint Related Articles Current down prospective fit for Broncos in-house visits ahead of NFL draft NFL draft Three first-round exchange frameworks that could make sense for Broncos on Thursday night Broncos top priority heading into NFL draft Outfitting Bo Nix with more playmakers Broncos Journal Should Denver take Omarion Hampton or TreVeyon Henderson at No Renck File With Broncos now contenders Sean Payton must be bold in NFL draft Sharpe flew into fits of anger when Plaintiff noted his infidelity to their relationship or called him out about his extraneous sessions the lawsuit stated Sharpe even figured out how to get into Doe s apartment complex without her permission Sharpe was a four-time All-Pro tight end who played on two Super Bowl champions with Denver and another with Baltimore over seasons from to He was voted into the Hall of Fame in Sharpe retired as the NFL s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions yards receiving and touchdowns Those records have since been broken Sharpe has been a staple on TV and social media since retiring He left FS s sports debate show Undisputed in and joined ESPN soon afterward Want more Broncos news Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis