Ex-NFL star accused of sexual assault won’t be investigated, Las Vegas police say

Las Vegas police on Tuesday said they are not investigating NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe for sexual assaults alleged in a lawsuit filed by a woman who had been in a relationship with the former football player.

Sharpe, 56, has been accused by the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, of multiple counts of sexual assault that allegedly occurred in Las Vegas, according to a lawsuit filed Sunday in District Court. He has denied the allegations.

The woman and Sharpe were previously in a consensual relationship, but the relationship soured, according to the lawsuit, which alleges that Sharpe raped the plaintiff in October 2024 and again in January at her Las Vegas apartment.

Despite the lawsuit, which seeks $50 million in damages, the Metropolitan Police Department told the Las Vegas Review-Journal via email Tuesday that Sharpe “has not been listed in any criminal investigations.”

Sharpe took to his Instagram account Tuesday and continued to refute the allegations made against him, calling the situation a money grab.

“This is a shakedown,” Sharpe said in the social media video.

The 14-year NFL veteran and popular media personality also said the lawsuit was racially motivated and alleged that the woman’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, has a history of filing lawsuits against Black men.

Buzbee did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

The lawsuit came just days after reports that Sharpe was on the verge of signing a new podcast deal that could potentially be worth at least $100 million.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.