Shannon Sharpe was recently fired by ESPN after he reached a settlement with a woman who made troubling allegations against him, and the Hall of Fame tight end has now been named in another massive lawsuit.
Sharpe and fellow former NFL star Chad Johnson, who co-hosts the “Nightcap” podcast with Sharpe, have been named as two of the defendants in a lawsuit filed by a woman who gained widespread attention for an interaction she had with Usher during the R&B legend’s concert on April 2.
According to court documents that were obtained by The U.S. Sun, Jimalita Tillman is suing Sharpe, Johnson and Sharpe’s production company, Shay Shay Media, for $20 million. Tillman has accused Sharpe and the others of spreading “false narratives” about her after a video of her having a flirtatious exchange with Usher was viewed millions of times online.
During the exchange, which Tillman referred to in the lawsuit as a “fan engagement moment,” Usher and Tillman intensely stared into each other’s eyes for several seconds. Usher then fed Tillman cherries in a sensual manner, which led to the Chicago native becoming known online as “Auntie Cherry.”
There were rumors that Tillman was married and wound up getting divorced over her intimate exchange with Usher. She said the narrative, which is false, was spread by Sharpe and Johnson on their podcast.
“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. … I was not married at the time of the fan participation moment during the Usher concert,” the lawsuit states.
“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.”
Tillman says Sharpe and Johnson caused “significant harm to my character and reputation.” She is seeking $20 million in damages.
Sharpe was fired by ESPN less than two weeks after he settled his lawsuit with Gabriella Zuniga, a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct. Sharpe and Zuniga were in a tumultuous consensual sexual relationship after first meeting at a gym.
Zuniga had sued Sharpe in April seeking $50 million over his alleged mistreatment of her. The lawsuit led to great embarrassment and negative attention for Sharpe, who announced on April 24 that he was stepping away from ESPN.
Sharpe, who was on ESPN for about a year and a half, addressed the network’s decision during his podcast this week. He said he had one issue with the way ESPN handled things.
