A day after Shannon Sharpe was served with a 13-page lawsuit by an anonymous plaintiff alleging sexual assault and battery, Sharpe’s legal team issued a statement. Posted to Sharpe’s account on X and emailed to Awful Announcing through a PR team, the statement names the alleged plaintiff as Gabriella Zuniga and includes purported salacious messages Zuniga sent to Sharpe between October 2023 and January 2025.
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) April 21, 2025
Sharpe’s legal team, led by Lanny J. Davis, accuses Zuniga’s lawsuit of being a “blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars,” filled with lies and misrepresentations that “will not succeed.” The lawsuit, served on April 20 and made public on April 21, claims Sharpe committed two instances of sexual assault, secretly recorded the plaintiff during an intimate encounter, and pursued her after she tried to end their relationship. In contrast, Sharpe’s team asserts that Zuniga was the one who secretly recorded their encounter and altered the video to blackmail him. The plaintiff is seeking $50 million in damages.
“Mr. Sharpe categorically denies all allegations of coercion or misconduct — especially the gross lie of ‘rape’ — and will not submit to what he sees as an egregious attempt at blackmail,” the statement continues. “He stands firmly by the truth and is prepared to fight these false claims vigorously in court. He looks forward to vindication through due process and a judgment based on the facts and the law.”
Furthermore, last week, Front Office Sports reported that Sharpe was anticipating a $100 million windfall while pursuing a new contract for his popular Club Shay Shay and Nightcap podcasts. Sharpe appeared on ESPN’s First Take on Monday morning; however, ESPN has not publicly commented on the allegations.
