Shannon Sharpe doesn’t concern lawyer Tony Buzbee.
After the lawsuit was first filed, Sharpe accused the high-profile lawyer, who represented Sharpe’s rape accuser, of “targeting black men.”
“I didn’t wake up one morning and say, ‘I want to sue Shannon Sharpe.’ He has no relevance in my life,” Buzbee said in an interview with Esquire on Thursday, two weeks after the case was settled for an undisclosed amount after Sharpe’s Jane Doe accuser was seeking $50 million.
“I actually think he’s very entertaining when he yells and screams and talks about sports that he’s not involved in.”
Buzbee has filed lawsuits against Jay-Z, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Deshaun Watson in the past before representing his client against Sharpe.
But those are just a few of Buzbee’s high-profile cases in his career.
He once sued BP for an oil spill and won his firm over $500 million.
“I guess a bunch of old white men could say I’m targeting them, and a bunch of multinational corporations could say I’m targeting them as well … I guess you could say I was targeting BP,” he said. “If I think it’s a legitimate case, then I pursue it.”
Sharpe’s accusation against Buzbee came when the lawyer released audio in April of the former NFL star telling Buzbee’s client “I’m going to f–king choke the s–t out of you.”
Sharpe claimed the recording to be taken out of context and that the clip Buzbee released was just 30 seconds of a 10-minute video that would’ve cleared Sharpe of any misconduct.
ESPN cut ties with Sharpe, a retired Hall of Fame tight end, on Wednesday.
While Sharpe had his issues with Buzbee, his attorney Michael Marino seemed to suggest that he had a good relationship with the fellow lawyer which led to the settlement.
Marino gave this statement regarding Buzbee and the settlement: “Like many highly successful individuals, Tony Buzbee is a complex and formidable figure. In the matter involving Shannon Sharpe, although we stood on opposite sides of the legal aisle, our shared experience as former officers in the United States Marine Corps fostered a mutual respect that guided our discussions. That brotherhood enabled us to speak candidly and constructively, ultimately allowing us to reach a resolution that served the interests of all parties involved.”
