Shannon Sharpe (Photo By Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Shannon Sharpe has had enough. The Hall of Fame tight end, now a household name on ESPN’s First Take, is pushing back hard against explosive allegations leveled against him. On Friday, Sharpe’s legal team released a blistering new statement, calling the recent r@pe and s3xual assault accusations “malicious lies” and vowing to expose what they claim is a calculated shakedown.

The 56-year-old paused his TV role after a $50 million lawsuit from an ex-girlfriend he met at 19.
Michele Evans accused Sharpe of a 2010 s3xual assault during a Daily Mail interview.
Sharpe denied all allegations and says he’s preparing for a serious legal fight to defend himself.

Legal Team Slams Accusers, Promises Evidence

Shannon Sharpe (Photo via YouTube)
Sharpe’s attorneys say their client is being targeted by opportunists looking to cash in on his fame. In their Friday statement, they said, “This is a shakedown, pure and simple, and we have the evidence to prove it.”

Addressing the lawsuit filed by the unnamed ex-girlfriend, the legal team claims the relationship was consensual and lasted two years. Things took a turn, according to them, when she discovered Sharpe had no intention of fathering a child with her. “She resorted to extortion,” the statement alleges. They say while Sharpe initially considered a private settlement to keep personal details out of the public eye, he’s no longer playing that game.

“We’re not responding with manufactured defenses or imaginary stories,” the attorneys said. “We have documentary proof and real evidence.”

Sharpe also plans to file claims of his own. “He intends to pursue claims against [the accuser] and all who have assisted her with the dissemination of her fabricated story,” the statement continued.

Meanwhile, Michele Evans, who worked as a reporter covering the Denver Broncos in the early 2000s, says her relationship with Sharpe ended traumatically in 2010. She accuses him of oral and vaginal r@pe. Sharpe’s spokesperson dismissed her story on Thursday, telling Daily Mail that her “claims are ridiculous and completely without merit.”

Sharpe’s attorneys fired back, saying Evans became obsessed with him and that her civil complaint lacks any legal weight. “She could not find a lawyer to pursue her outrageous story,” they said. “She filed it on her own. It is completely devoid of merit.” Sharpe remains off the air, but his message is clear- he’s not backing down.

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

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Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

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The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’