Shannon Sharpe's Text Messages: What They Said and Whether They Prove His Innocence

When you first saw Shannon Sharpe’s name trending online, you probably thought it had something to do with a hot take from First Take or a clip from his podcast. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The headlines weren’t about sports. They were about serious allegations, a lawsuit, and a flood of explicit text messages.

If you’ve been trying to figure out what Shannon Sharpe's text messages said — or whether they proved anything at all — you’re not alone. There’s a lot of alleged text messages floating around right now. Some of it came straight from his legal team. Some of it showed up on Reddit. Keep reading as we take a closer look at the details within these alleged text messages and what people are saying.

In early 2025, a woman identified in court as "Jane Doe" filed a lawsuit against Shannon. She accused him of sexual assault, sexual battery, and other forms of misconduct. Her attorney, Tony Buzbee, claimed that Shannon ignored clear boundaries, refused to use protection, and performed sexual acts she explicitly asked him not to.

To fight back, per Complex, Shannon’s lawyers released a batch of text messages they said came from the accuser. These messages were ... extremely graphic.

“I want you to put a dog collar around my neck and choke me with it while you’re f--king me,” the woman allegedly penned in one of several sexually explicit text messages.

The same woman allegedly wrote in a second text message a month later: “Only if you put that baby gravy in me, then I can do whatever I want to me.”

The point of releasing these text messages was clear. His legal team wanted to paint this relationship as consensual and ongoing. Furthermore, they wanted to show how a lot of their intimate activities were initiated by her — not him.

From a strategy standpoint, it made sense. Show texts that look flirtatious and suggest mutual desire. Show that the line between consent and misconduct was blurrier than the lawsuit made it seem. Unfortunately, you can’t assume a few screenshots tell the entire story. In chatter on Reddit and other social media platforms, many picked up fast on the possibility that the legal team cherry-picked which text messages to share.

Around the same time those official texts were making the rounds, Reddit got involved. A post on Reddit included what it claimed were screenshots of text messages the woman sent to Shannon.

In it, she allegedly said, “I don’t care what our history is, no means no, Shannon.” The same screenshot mentioned requests to use a condom and to avoid certain intimate acts — boundaries she claimed he ignored.

Now, before we go any further, it’s important to note: These Reddit messages are unverified. They didn’t come from court documents. No one knows who posted them. They could be real, fake, edited, or taken out of context. That’s the problem with screenshots on the internet — they’re easy to believe, but even easier to manipulate.

Still, the timing and content of those alleged messages added fuel to the fire. Some people saw them as proof that Shannon’s legal team was being selective — sharing the messages that made him look good while leaving out the ones that didn’t. Others questioned whether any of it was real.

Eventually, both sides reached a private agreement. Attorney Tony Buzbee released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) saying the matter had been “mutually resolved” and that the lawsuit would be dismissed. No details were made public. No one admitted guilt. And just like that, it was over.

Here’s the reality: The text messages — whether released by lawyers or posted on Reddit — didn’t settle anything. They didn’t prove innocence. They didn’t prove guilt. They just showed that this was a messy, complicated situation between two people with a long and complicated history.