A woman suing Shannon Sharpe for alleged defamation also alleges in the complaint that the NFL Hall of Famer sexually assaulted her in 2010.
Michele Evans filed suit against Sharpe in New York in 2023, nearly two years before another woman, suing under the name Jane Doe, accused Sharpe of raping her in a lawsuit filed in Nevada earlier this week.
Sharpe has strongly denied the allegations in the Nevada lawsuit, claiming that the relationship had been consensual and called the lawsuit a “shakedown.”
In the New York complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, Evans, who is representing herself, claims that she had been in a relationship with Sharpe for nearly a decade, ending in 2010, when she says they got in an argument over his alleged infidelity.
Evans alleges Sharpe then requested that the two have sex and that she refused.
“The Defendant proceeded to forcefully subdue me, compelling me to my knees and subsequently engaging in non-consensual oral penetration,” the complaint alleges. “Despite my protests, he persisted in this violation.”
Evans further claims the assault continued beyond the alleged forcible oral sex.
“Thereafter, Shannon’s coercion escalated as he maneuvered me onto the bed and achieved non-consensual vaginal penetration, all the while proclaiming his intent to ‘Make it so no other man would want me,’” Evans alleges.
Though Evans is not suing Sharpe for sexual assault, she claims he threatened to ruin her reputation and that the ensuing media commentary was “rife with defamatory commentary, assailing my professional reputation.”
In a statement to Page Six, a representative for Sharpe denied Evans’ allegations.
“Michele Evans’ claims are ridiculous and completely without merit,” the representative reportedly said.
The proceedings in Evans’ civil case are still ongoing, though a judge did deny her request for an order of protection.
In the wake of the lawsuit filed by Jane Doe, Sharpe announced that he was stepping away from his job at ESPN, while reiterating his denial of the accusations.
“My statement is found here and this is the truth,” Sharpe said in the statement. “The relationship in question was 100% consensual.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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