By Ricardo Lezama 
Shannon Sharpe, the former NFL star and ESPN sports media personality, is currently embroiled in a significant legal controversy. On April 20, 2025, a civil lawsuit was filed against him in Clark County, Nevada, by a woman referred to as “Jane Doe.” He was sued under a general pseudonym, but many of the details have already spilled into social media including the name of the plaintiff, Gabriela Zuniga. The relationship appears consensual and not until a few personal disagreements did the details make their way into the public sphere.
The actual name was revealed in a social media post from Sharpe. The public response revealing her identity and showing text messages was a full throated defense from Shannon Sharpe, and not typical of celebrity suits.
Shakedown or Fair Play?
According to the suit, Sharpe and Zuniga met in a gym where afterwards they both engaged in a consensual sexual relationship. The issue here is that while both agree on the major events, the encounters appear to be open to interpretation midway through their interactions with a sort of coercing relationship.
The lawsuit alleges that Sharpe sexually assaulted “Jane Doe” multiple times between late 2024 and early 2025 during a nearly two-year relationship that began when she was 19 years old. The plaintiff is seeking $50 million in damages, accusing Sharpe of rape, battery, and the non-consensual recording and distribution of their sexual encounters. Ironically, much of the suit appears to be predicated on a video recording of Sharpe with Zuniga in a compromising situation. That is yet to be released.
Additionally, audios threatening Zuniga are also circulating, but the authenticity appears to be in doubt insofar as context. The texts mentioned above showed an apparent love of BDSM, a practice that mixes violence with sex, which most legal experts agree could substantiate Sharpe’s allegations that the entire engagement was consensual.
Sharpe has vehemently denied all allegations, describing the lawsuit as a “shakedown” orchestrated by attorney Tony Buzbee, who is known for representing high-profile sexual misconduct cases. Buzbee was last heard of suing Jay-Z to which the famous rapper crafted a counter suit. The Buzbee suit was eventually dropped when key details were easily dismissed (Jay Z was clearly in another site)).
Sharpe’s legal team has released text messages they claim show the relationship was consensual and sexually explicit in nature. Additionally, they have contested the authenticity of audio recordings released by the plaintiff’s legal team, which allegedly feature Sharpe making threatening statements.
In light of the serious nature of the allegations, Sharpe announced on April 24, 2025, that he is temporarily stepping away from his duties at ESPN, including his role on “First Take,” to focus on addressing the legal matter and spending time with his family. He intends to return before the NFL preseason in August 2025.
Corporate Reacts
ESPN is owned by DISNEY. Bottomline, the legal dispute is going to play out in court, and Sharpe famously ran an IG live where he can be heard with another woman in a sexual encounter. Thus, this would be the second instance of Sharpe’s personal life spilling into the sports brand’s platform.
The case is ongoing, and both parties continue to present conflicting evidence. As of now, no criminal charges have been filed, and the matter remains a civil lawsuit. The developments are being closely monitored, given Sharpe’s prominent position in sports media.