Shannon Sharpe has not issued a response to the sexual assault that was brought up against him in April.
According to reports, Sharpe has not filed an official response to the lawsuit in Nevada court, although his hearing is set for July 9. A former attorney noted that legal responses are typically filed within 30 days of the lawsuit being filed. However, courts can use their discretion to grant extensions that are filed by the attorneys on behalf of their clients, but Sharpe’s team has not done so yet.
We reported that Sharpe was hit with a sexual assault lawsuit in April that revealed he had a “rocky consensual relationship” with a woman that lasted for two years. The lawsuit also states that the relationship turned “abusive” and “controlling.”
The woman who filed the lawsuit is being represented by Tony Buzbee and Micah Nash, who are known for representing women in high-profile sexual misconduct cases. After the lawsuit went public, the former NFL star denied all allegations against him and said that the lawsuit was a “shakedown.”
“This is a shakedown. I’m going to be open, transparent, and defend myself because this isn’t right,” he said in an Instagram video posted back in April. “This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzbee… I believe he is going to release a 30-second clip of a sex tape that tries to make me look guilty and plays into every stereotype you can possibly imagine. “
Since the lawsuit, Sharpe has stepped away from ESPN’s First Take, revealing that he will be back for the NFL preseason.