The Shannon Sharpe rape lawsuit just took a sharp left turn. While the NFL Hall of Famer has gone on the offensive, calling the $50 million civil suit a “shakedown” and claiming full innocence, his own attorney, Lanny Davis, just revealed a major detail that complicates things. Sharpe, it turns out, previously offered at least $10 million to settle the case before it ever became public.
Yup, the man currently denying everything, calling it a setup, and promising a countersuit for defamation had already tried to settle. And now, everyone’s asking the same question: If it was all fake, why offer that kind of money?
Lanny Davis says Shannon Sharpe tried to settle for “tens of millions” before he was even on the case
During a media conference call on Tuesday, Davis told reporters that Shannon Sharpe made a formal settlement offer in mediation. The offer? Initially described as being in the “tens of millions”, later clarified to be “at least $10 million.” This offer was made before the lawsuit was ever filed and before Davis took over as Sharpe’s legal counsel.
That revelation is drawing massive attention not just because of the number, but because it directly contradicts the current narrative Sharpe is trying to shape on social media and TV.
Davis emphasized that the offer doesn’t mean guilt and that it’s not legally admissible in court. But in the public eye? That’s a different arena entirely. “It raises serious questions,” one media insider told Pro Football Talk, “especially when your whole defense is built around total denial and claims of being blackmailed.”
Public perception clash: How can a $10M offer exist if Sharpe claims the case is fake?
Sharpe has made it clear on Instagram that he believes the allegations are “a deliberate setup,” orchestrated by Jane Doe’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee. He’s gone as far as saying Buzbee plans to release an edited, misleading sex tape and accused him of targeting Black men with high profiles. He even invited Buzbee to release the entire tape, saying he would have done it himself if he had access.
But even the best spin doctors can’t clean up the optics of offering someone $10 million and then calling their claim “completely false” just months later. It’s not just fans who are confused, media analysts, sports insiders, and even Sharpe’s own network partners are likely wondering what this all means.
So far, ESPN has taken the let-it-blow-over approach. Sharpe remains active on air, most recently appearing on “First Take.” But now that his lawyer has confirmed a multi-million dollar offer to make the case disappear, the sports media giant could face pressure to say something or at least reevaluate the situation.
Even if the offer was part of a legal strategy, that doesn’t make it an easy sell in the branding world. For networks and sponsors, this case isn’t just about legal facts, it’s about image, risk, and reputation.
Also read - Shannon Sharpe finally breaks silence on rape allegations, vows defamation suit in explosive Instagram video
Yup, the man currently denying everything, calling it a setup, and promising a countersuit for defamation had already tried to settle. And now, everyone’s asking the same question: If it was all fake, why offer that kind of money?
Lanny Davis says Shannon Sharpe tried to settle for “tens of millions” before he was even on the case
On one hand, Shannon Sharpe insists the claims recently filed against him are false. On the other hand, Sharpe offered (per his lawyer) "at least $10 million" to settle the claims before the case was filed. https://t.co/63h6kDQ0Ow
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 22, 2025
During a media conference call on Tuesday, Davis told reporters that Shannon Sharpe made a formal settlement offer in mediation. The offer? Initially described as being in the “tens of millions”, later clarified to be “at least $10 million.” This offer was made before the lawsuit was ever filed and before Davis took over as Sharpe’s legal counsel.
That revelation is drawing massive attention not just because of the number, but because it directly contradicts the current narrative Sharpe is trying to shape on social media and TV.
Davis emphasized that the offer doesn’t mean guilt and that it’s not legally admissible in court. But in the public eye? That’s a different arena entirely. “It raises serious questions,” one media insider told Pro Football Talk, “especially when your whole defense is built around total denial and claims of being blackmailed.”
Public perception clash: How can a $10M offer exist if Sharpe claims the case is fake?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIwWuEvPE_B/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIwWuEvPE_B/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Sharpe has made it clear on Instagram that he believes the allegations are “a deliberate setup,” orchestrated by Jane Doe’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee. He’s gone as far as saying Buzbee plans to release an edited, misleading sex tape and accused him of targeting Black men with high profiles. He even invited Buzbee to release the entire tape, saying he would have done it himself if he had access.
But even the best spin doctors can’t clean up the optics of offering someone $10 million and then calling their claim “completely false” just months later. It’s not just fans who are confused, media analysts, sports insiders, and even Sharpe’s own network partners are likely wondering what this all means.
So far, ESPN has taken the let-it-blow-over approach. Sharpe remains active on air, most recently appearing on “First Take.” But now that his lawyer has confirmed a multi-million dollar offer to make the case disappear, the sports media giant could face pressure to say something or at least reevaluate the situation.
Even if the offer was part of a legal strategy, that doesn’t make it an easy sell in the branding world. For networks and sponsors, this case isn’t just about legal facts, it’s about image, risk, and reputation.
Also read - Shannon Sharpe finally breaks silence on rape allegations, vows defamation suit in explosive Instagram video
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