NFL legend Shannon Sharpe is pushing back hard against a $50 million rape lawsuit filed by OnlyFans model Gabriella Zuniga, claiming the accusation is not only false but part of a calculated extortion attempt. According to Sharpe, Zuniga is planning to release a highly edited sex tape to sway public opinion and pressure him into settling the case.
“This is a shakedown,” Sharpe said in a fiery Instagram video, where he accused both Zuniga and her high-profile attorney, Tony Buzbee, of manipulating the narrative to vilify him. Sharpe claims the footage Zuniga intends to publish is a brief, misleading clip from a much longer video that he says would offer a very different perspective if released in full.
Attorney calls allegations a ‘fabrication of lies’
Sharpe’s legal team, led by attorney Lanny Davis, doubled down on the claim that the relationship between Sharpe and Zuniga was consensual, adult, and initiated by Zuniga. Davis provided screenshots of explicit text messages allegedly sent by the model, citing them as evidence of mutual consent and graphic sexual exchanges that support Sharpe’s version of events.
The evidence paints a clear picture,” Davis stated, “This was not only consensual but filled with messages that demonstrate fantasy scenarios requested by Ms. Zuniga herself.
Among the messages, Zuniga reportedly asked Sharpe to perform explicit acts involving role-play and power dynamics. One message, according to Davis, even included a request for $25,000 per “cheek” accompanied by a provocative photo.
Zuniga’s camp releases audio, Sharpe insists full context is missing
While Sharpe maintains that the complete sex tape would exonerate him, Zuniga’s attorney has released a phone recording in which Sharpe is heard threatening her during an argument. In the clip, he allegedly says he will “choke” her, a statement that has intensified public debate over the case.
Sharpe argues that the quote is being used out of context and was part of a consensual dynamic, claiming that Buzbee is exploiting stereotypes and targeting Black men in high-profile legal battles.
For now, the case continues to unfold publicly, with both sides refusing to back down. Whether the full video will ever be released remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: this legal battle is far from over.
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