Michele Evans, a former sports reporter, detailed allegations of sexual assault against Shannon Sharpe and a subsequent defamation lawsuit she filed against the former NFL star and media personality. Evans claims she dated Sharpe for nearly a decade starting in 2002.
Evans stated their relationship ended after an argument in 2010 during which she alleged Sharpe physically overpowered her and forced her to have sex. She said she told him no because he was seeing other women.
Following the alleged assault, Evans claims Sharpe threatened her life and said he would use his influence to destroy her if she told anyone. She obtained a protective order in 2010, alleging he continued to harass her and had her under surveillance.
Evans claimed she dropped the restraining order because she felt unsafe and feared for her life, believing her address had been made public. She also expressed concerns about potential police corruption in Atlanta at the time as a reason for not filing a police report.
In December 2023, Evans filed a defamation lawsuit against Sharpe, alleging he publicly made false claims that she attempted to kill her husband. Evans acknowledged a past domestic incident with her husband that led to her conviction for 1st-degree assault and incarceration but denied trying to kill him or acting for Shannon Sharpe.
Sharpe's legal team responded to Evans' claims with a statement calling them "old news, fanciful exaggerations, or sometimes blatant misrepresentations of fact." The statement claimed Evans became "obsessed" with Sharpe and filed a complaint "completely devoid of merit." The team also referenced her incarceration, stating she was "still on probation after serving 3 years in prison for trying to kill her husband so that she could hopefully pursue a relationship with Shannon."
Evans countered Sharpe's team's statement, calling it malicious and disrespectful. She stated she did not try to kill her husband and was not indicted or imprisoned for attempted murder, taking a plea for assault due to an "impossible situation."
The filing of a separate civil complaint against Shannon Sharpe by a woman identified as Jane Doe, alleging sexual assault and other claims in 2024, recently led to Sharpe stepping aside from his role at ESPN. Sharpe's on-air partner, Stephen A. Smith, stated he sensed ESPN wouldn't let Shannon Sharpe remain on the air after news of the lawsuit broke, citing concerns from Disney.
Sharpe's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said Sharpe offered "at least $10 million" to settle the Jane Doe claim before the lawsuit was filed, stating this offer does not undermine Sharpe's claim of innocence. Sharpe has strongly denied the allegations made by Jane Doe, with his legal team labeling the lawsuit an "egregious attempt at blackmail."
Reports also surfaced revealing Sharpe was arrested at least twice for domestic battery in 1995 and 2004 involving different women at his Atlanta home. One case was settled in mediation.
Regarding her reasons for not initially reporting the alleged rape to the police, Evans stated, "When this happens, you're in a trauma mindset... you fear for your life, you're traumatized, you're not thinking straight."
