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.”
Shannon Sharpe. Paras Griffin/Getty
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.”
In a statement sent to PEOPLE on Friday, April 25, Mitchell Schuster, an attorney for Sharpe, wrote, in part, “It should be of no surprise that when someone famous is in the news, all sorts of people crawl out of the woodwork to share their connection to that person in an attempt to profit from that alleged relationship. In many cases those stories or accusations are nothing more than old news, fanciful exaggerations, or sometimes blatant misrepresentations of fact. They are shared on social media or fed to reporters with intentional factual omissions and no regard for the truth. This is obviously purposeful, designed to create a fabricated narrative. This is exactly what is happening to Shannon Sharpe and the resurrection of the case involving Michele Evans is a perfect example.”
The statement adds: “When she could not find a lawyer to pursue her outrageous story, she filed a civil complaint on her own that is completely devoid of merit. The fact is that Shannon has had no contact with this person for many years.”
Later, the statement adds, “Bottom line, Shannon has done nothing wrong and intends to fight back against these malicious lies not with manufactured defenses or imaginary stories but with documentary proof and real evidence.”
The statement adds that while Sharpe is stepping away from ESPN, he plans to return to the network for the 2025 football season.
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.
