SHANNON Sharpe is being sued for $20 million after the former ESPN star shamed a woman over a viral flirty video with Usher, and wrongly alleged her husband left her over the incident. In court doc…
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'EMOTIONAL DISTRESS'
Shannon Sharpe sued for $20m after ESPN star ‘shamed woman over flirty vid with Usher and wrongly said husband left her’
Plus, inside the latest with the star's departure at ESPN
- Published: 12:51 ET, Jul 31 2025
- Updated: 15:20 ET, Jul 31 2025
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SHANNON Sharpe is being sued for $20 million after the former ESPN star shamed a woman over a viral flirty video with Usher, and wrongly alleged her husband left her over the incident.
In court documents exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun, the woman, Jimalita Tillman, is suing
Sharpe, as well as his Nightcap co-host
Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson, and the podcast's production company, Shay Shay Media.
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Shannon Sharpe has found himself again in legal hot water after a woman accused him of defamation, and has sued him for $20 millionCredit: Getty
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Jamalita Tillman went viral after her interaction with Usher at his concert. However, she says Sharpe claimed on his podcast she was married, despite her being singleCredit: Tiktok/monochromeego
The woman claims the hosts knowingly propagated a false narrative about her marital status in court papers.
Sharpe, 57, just settled a $50 million lawsuit with a woman who accused him of rape, and he was officially
let go from his ESPN job on Wednesday.
In Tillman's complaint, she explained, "On April 2, 2025 I participated in a fan engagement moment at a Usher Raymond concert where I interacted with the artist as a selected audience member."
The
interaction quickly went viral after fans noted the intensity between Tillman and Usher in the fun moment.
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"Following this event, the defendants made and disseminated false and defamatory statements suggesting that I was married and that my husband was filing for divorce due to my participation in this audience experience, I am not married, nor am I currently going through a divorce"
She went on to explain, "I was not married at the time of the fan participation moment during the Usher concert.
"The defendants' false narratives were shared widely across their platforms, reaching millions of followers, viral spread and refutation efforts, despite my clear and public reputation of the false narrative."
The woman, who is a global director for the Harold Washington Cultural Center, said she even went on national media shows to refute the allegations from the ESPN
First Take star that she was a married woman.
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Despite that she alleged, "The defendants continued to post the defamatory content across their social media platforms.
"I made numerous efforts to contact the defendants to request the removal of this false narrative, but these requests were disregarded."
The single mother added that the false statements have caused "significant harm to my character and reputation."
She further argued, "Their continued dissemination of these false statements after I publicly clarified my marital status demonstrates a reckless disregard for the truth."
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Tillman further alleged, "The ongoing misinformation has resulted in emotional distress for the plaintiff, damaged her reputation and adversely affected her personal and professional relationships."
The Chicago native, whose previously homeschooled daughter received her doctorate while still a teenager, is seeking $20 million in damages.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Sharpe's attorneys for comment.
In a conversation with The U.S. Sun, Tillman added, "We've been in communication with the legal team of Shay Shay media, who was also representing Shannon Sharpe.
"They're looking to resolve this matter quickly, and we will probably have more to share upon our next conversation."
The lawsuit comes on the heels of the news that ESPN fired him this week after he settled another expensive lawsuit earlier this month with
a woman who accused him of rape.
SHARPE OUT AT ESPN
NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe has not appeared on ESPN since a lawsuit accusing him of manipulation, physical abuse, and sexual assault was filed back in April.
ESPN’s decision to part ways with Sharpe was first reported by
The Athletic and later confirmed by The U.S. Sun.
Though ESPN has declined to comment on the move, Sharpe’s legal team has also refrained from providing any statements.
The lawsuit, filed by a
woman identified as Jane Doe, alleged that
Sharpe sexually assaulted her in late 2024 and early 2025 when she was 20 years old.
The suit claimed the pair had dated for about two years before the alleged incidents.
Sharpe has strongly denied the allegations, maintaining that the relationship was "100% consensual."
He previously expressed plans to return to ESPN at the start of NFL training camp, which began last week.
On July 18, Jane Doe’s attorney, Tony Buzbee,
announced the dismissal of the lawsuit in a post on X, formerly Twitter, following a confidential settlement.
“After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed-upon resolution,” Buzbee wrote. “All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.”
PENDING LAWSUIT WITH MICHELE EVANS
Sharpe also faces a separate lawsuit filed by Michele Bundy Evans, 53, who
alleges that the former NFL star raped her and threatened her after she filed a restraining order against him.
Evans, a former sportscaster, met Sharpe during his time playing for the Denver Broncos.
The judge in Evans' case recently
ordered Sharpe’s Jane Doe accuser not to destroy a sex tape that could serve as evidence in the pending lawsuit involving Evans, as The U.S. Sun exclusively reported last week.
SHARPE'S CAREER IMPACT
Despite the allegations, Sharpe has continued hosting his podcasts Club Shay Shay and Nightcap, both powered by The Volume.
First Take viewing figures
First Take went from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim last year.
The weekday ESPN debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 - making it the most-watched year in program history.
Its December average of 611,000 was a 24% year-on-year increase compared to 2022.
The show also reported more than 250 million views on YouTube.
First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports' Undisputed.
The latter podcast features former NFL legend Chad Ochocinco as a co-host.
In May, The U.S. Sun reported that
Sharpe was pursuing a $100 million podcast deal, but the sexual assault allegations caused the deal to collapse.
Sharpe joined ESPN in 2023 after spending seven years as a co-host on FS1’s Undisputed. He quickly became a key figure alongside Stephen A. Smith on First Take, helping the show achieve high ratings.
Smith openly expressed his desire for Sharpe to return to First Take following the lawsuit, stating, “I’m hopeful that I’ll have my brother back on the airwaves talking football next season.”
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However, ESPN and First Take will now rely on other football analysts for the upcoming NFL season, which begins in early September.
Since Sharpe’s departure in April, the show has featured NFL icon Cam Newton, who joined ESPN as an analyst last October.
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Tillman is suing Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco Johnson for $20 millionCredit: Instagram/jimalita
More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
. Yes another ugly ass white female.
