Attorney for Shannon Sharpe's accuser does not show up to first hearing

The attorney representing Shannon Sharpe’s accuser did not show up to the first hearing, according to KLAS-TV in Las Vegas. Wednesday’s hearing took place in Clark County District Court.

The woman filed the anonymous lawsuit in April. She is suing the Pro Football Hall of Famer for $50 million and alleges he raped her on multiple occasions after the two met in 2023. In the time since, Sharpe has been away from his duties on ESPN’s First Take.

According to KLAS, Judge Anna Albertson is overseeing the case. She “expressed her disappointment” the plaintiff did not have any legal representation present for the hearing. Attorney Robert DeMarco was in attendance to represent Sharpe on his behalf and said other attorneys on the case were out of state at the time.

Sharpe’s legal team asked the judge to review the case’s progress at a later date and extend by 45 days. She obliged, and the next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3.

Shannon Sharpe away from ESPN amid lawsuit

Sharpe has been off ESPN’s airwaves since late April after news broke of the lawsuit. His lawyers then released a blistering statement in response to the lawsuit, wholly denying the allegations against the former Denver Broncos tight end. He also put out a video addressing the situation and potential next steps before announcing his decision to step away until the NFL’s preseason.

“My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe wrote. “At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties.

“I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason. I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues.”

The woman – listed as Jane Doe – is represented by Tony Buzbee, according to the filing. He represented clients accusing Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual abuse.

Shannon Sharpe joined ESPN in 2023 following a seven-year run at FOX Sports as co-host of Undisputed alongside Skip Bayless. That ended when Sharpe made the move to ESPN to make weekly appearances on First Take with Stephen A. Smith. ESPN gave him a new multi-year contract in 2024 to expand his role on the show.