It’s been a rough week for sports commentator Shannon Sharpe. As the sexual assault lawsuit against him continues to break the internet, there’s one aspect of the legal case that has many Black folks weary about throwing Sharpe their support.
Ever since his ex-girlfriend accused him of rape, things have gotten real messy. The Jane Doe accuser’s real name and OnlyFans account were leaked. And shocking text message threads between the former couple continue to have the internet in shambles. More specifically, Sharpe is catching heat for allegedly engaging in race play— the sexual practice where participants use race to fuel a power-imbalance usually rooted in the history of slavery— which obviously isn’t a good look since the podcaster is a Black man and Doe is white.
In fact, many online called out Sharpe after he took to the internet to declare his innocence. “You can’t do the ‘Black man’ angle when you are participating in race play,” @BlackBookClub1 wrote on X after Sharpe repeatedly blamed Doe’s attorney for trying to take a Black man down.
The Root previously reported on the alleged messages between Sharpe and his ex-girlfriend. In the texts, Doe allegedly told Sharpe to “put a big Black baby in me” among other things. Sharpe was even heard on audio allegedly telling Doe “I might choke you in public ... big Black guy chokes small white woman.”
Another user, @seoulssta, said “race play is so wild to me. why r u a slave in ur most intimate moments.” And that’s honestly a good question. Black folks are struggling with the idea that a nearly 60-year-old Sharpe was allegedly engaging in a racist practices with a young white woman.
User @MrsGeotech wrote, “Doing race play at 57 is crazy because you were born when white people were still actively fighting for segregation and the right to lynch black people... esp when you from the Deep South.”
Other folks detailed the real dangers of Sharpe’s situation. “Race play is not a kink. Race play is dangerous,” @crazylexxicool said on TikTok. The user went on the explain the history of race play is rooted in the dangers Black men faced during Jim Crow. “Y’all sit up and try to act like this is okay— and that it doesn’t endanger other Black people. It’s a lie,” she added.
@DapperDomo shared a similar sentiment, saying “Shannon Sharpe too few generations removed from slavery to be into race play like that” on X. Many folks called Sharpe “nasty” for participating in race play. @chicagoBRIZ tweeted, “And you on audio saying big black guy chokes small white woman lmao like you fucking serious??”
Back on TikTok, @thedominiquemorgan had some advice for the former Denver Bronco. “Someone need to sit down with Shannon Sharpe and say ‘Unc, you too old for this. Your platform is too large, and you don’t look the way people need to look to get away with some of the behavior you’re engaging in,’” she said.
The ESPN commentator was also exposed for allegedly trying to give Doe $10 million to not move forward with the case. Now, she is seeking $50 million in the suit against the sports star.