Shannon Sharpe’s public relations nightmare continues with a new report claiming the three-time Super Bowl champion is facing another major lawsuit.
News broke on July 30 that ESPN cut ties with Sharpe, 57, two weeks after the sports media personality settled a $50 million lawsuit filed by now-retired content creator Gabriella Zuniga.
According to a new lawsuit obtained by Atlanta Black Star, a woman named Jimalita Tillman is seeking $20 million from the Pro Football Hall of Famer for pushing fake news about her viral moment at a Usher concert.
Sharpe’s Shay Shay Media LLC company and his “Nightcap” co-host Chad Johnson are also named as defendants in the suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on July 25.
“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,” Tillman’s suit states.
Footage of Tillman’s flirty interaction with Usher during his show at the O2 Arena in London went über-viral worldwide during the first week of April.
That sultry exchange sparked unsubstantiated rumors claiming Tillman’s supposed husband demanded a divorce after seeing his wife be serenaded by the “Seduction” singer.
“I was not married at the time of the fan participation moment during the Usher concert,” she clarified in the complaint against Sharpe.
While speaking with WGN Morning News on April 2, she called the online rumors “completely false.”
Tillman accused Sharpe of making “false and defamatory statements” for suggesting she had an embarrassed husband who was filing for divorce over the headline-grabbing Usher clip.
“I made numerous efforts to contact the defendants to request the removal of this false narrative, but these requests were disregarded,” she wrote in the lawsuit, which notes Sharpe was served on June 25 at his home in Atlanta.
Sharpe was reportedly not home when a process server attempted to serve him. However, Tillman’s suit claims the documents were instead left with a “blonde-haired female, approximately 45 to 55 years old, 5’6 to 5’8 tall, and weighing between 140 – 160 pounds.”
Tillman, a global director at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, maintained that spreading false misinformation about her life caused “significant harm” to her character, as well as “emotional distress” and damage to her personal and professional life.
Tillman argued, “Their continued dissemination of these false statements after I publicly clarified my marital status demonstrates a reckless disregard for the truth.”
She is reportedly seeking $20 million in damages from Sharpe, Johnson, and Shay Shay Media. She is said to be in communication with the legal team representing Sharpe and his company.
Shay Shay Media is the home of popular podcasts “Club Shay Shay” and “Nightcap.” Despite the pending litigation, the “Nightcap” show continues to stream live daily on YouTube, reaching 1.8 million subscribers.
On July 30, Sharpe addressed the ESPN firing on “Nightcap” after supposedly being on the verge of signing a massive $100 million deal with the Disney-owned sports cable channel.
“Obviously, I’m sure everybody’s heard the news by now that I will not be returning to ESPN,” Shannon told his audience. The former “First Take” panelist said he wanted to keep his exit under wraps until after his brother Sterling Sharpe’s NFL Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Shannon said, “I found out this information a little earlier in the week and really the only thing that I really asked is like, ‘Guys, could we wait until Monday?’”
“My brother’s going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I really wanted it to be about him, and I wanted to be about my family. I said this coming out would overshadow everything that he’s worked his entire life for.”
Sterling was also this week’s guest on “Club Shay Shay” in the episode that aired on June 30th, as well.
Shannon said he enjoyed his time working for ESPN and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to appear on the network. He also publicly apologized to his 60-year-old brother, Sterling.
The eight-time Pro Bowl player’s fans reacted to him breaking his silence on losing his on-air job. One person in the comment section declared, “Don’t blame ESPN, he did this to himself, hope you learn your lesson.”
“I remember when Shannon had me thinking Ocho was going to mess up the bag for being late. After that Unk has been in scandal after scandal,” another YouTube viewer commented.
Meanwhile a more supportive individual wrote, “Man, it sucks not seeing Unc on ‘First Take’ anymore. Unc was a GREAT addition to the cast. What a loss for ESPN. Unc, [we will] always be here for you.”
Great Job Y. Kyles & the Team @ Atlanta Black Star Source link for sharing this story.
