Shannon Sharpe’s Wild Sky Bri Comment Goes Viral Amid $50M Assault Lawsuit: “She Played On Her Back!

Shannon Sharpe is under fire in 2025, and it has nothing to do with his NFL career or infectious sportscasting personality. Two unconnected controversies have combined to catapult him into the public eye in a manner few ever would have imagined. On one front he has gone viral for saying something brash and provocative about the adult content creator Sky Bri on his podcast. On the other, he’s contending with a $50 million civil lawsuit over serious allegations of sexual misconduct. All this has made for headlines, online arguments and reputational hit jobs galore.

The first incident occurred during a recent episode of Nightcap, Sharpe’s podcast that he co-hosts with former NFL star Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. When chatting about OnlyFans personality Sky Bri, Sharpe said something that took off and went viral. “She played on her back!” he said of her adult film work. The clip went viral on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram, where it was viewed millions of times. The internet responded with a combination of surprise, humor and anger. Some called Sharpe out for being disrespectful to sex workers and to those with such illnesses, while others pointed to the comment as part of Sharpe’s unfiltered act.

The backlash then led to a surge of response from pop culture commentators and influencers. There was widespread skepticism that Sharpe’s developing online personality had ventured too far from the credibility he accrued as a sports commentator. Famed for his pithy punditry and larger-than-life charisma, Sharpe is now being seen by some as edging ever closer to the territory of internet shock jock in saleable search for clicks. Commentators like DJ Akademiks and Kevin “No Chill” Morris, a YouTube critic, have suggested that Sharpe is stuck between the reality that made him and the circus of new media.

While social media users were busy debating the Sky Bri moment, a much more serious issue emerged. “Jane Doe,” a woman claiming to reside in California, sued Sharpe for sexual assault, battery, false imprisonment, and emotional distress. The lawsuit, which was submitted by high-profile attorney Tony Buzbee – who also represented clients in several high-profile sexual misconduct cases, demands more than 50 million dollars in compensation. Through his lawyer Lanny Davis, Sharpe unequivocally denied the claims, arguing that everything that transpired was consensual, and the meeting involved complicated role-play.

However, in a surprising turn of events, it was revealed that two weeks before filing the lawsuit, Jane Doe was offered a 10 million settlement, which she turned down: Sharpe plans to also file a lawsuit for defamation, arguing that this exchange was orchestrated to undermine his credibility. Upon filing the lawsuit, the plaintiff’s legal team released audio material, where Sharpe is heard yelling aggressively and threateningly. Davis claims that this material is removed from context and was recorded during an eventful role-play without consent.

“Labeling it assault is inaccurate, unethical, and perverse,” the lawyer said. This scandal is far from the first one involving Sharpe’s personal affairs. In the second half of 2024, a pornographic live video appeared on his personal Instagram account by accident. The clip with an explicit audio of Sharpe having intimate relations was viewed by tens of thousands of people before being removed. At that time, Sharpe claimed that his account was hacked. However, he later confessed on his podcast that it was him accidentally pressing the live button.

The series of controversies has raised concern at ESPN, where Sharpe currently serves as co-host of First Take. Formal action has not yet been taken, but insiders believe network executives are closely watching the situation. Sharpe, with his high-profile platform and millions of viewers, finds his behavior under the microscope in a way it never has been.

As these events unfold, the public gets to see how Sharpe not only is traveling through a period that could redefine his post-football legacy, but also begins to come to full understanding of Grantham and the life he helped save. Will his unvarnished, sometimes incendiary, delivery continue to resonate with audiences or will the crushing reality of legal woes and blowback shift the course of his media career? Whether this is a storm that passes over or the beginning of a longer unraveling, one thing is for sure: Shannon Sharpe is one of the most divisive sports and entertainment characters of Twentieth Year of The Millennium.