Former Ravens TE Shannon Sharpe Sued by Brett Favre
Former Baltimore Ravens tight end and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe is being sued by fellow Hall of Famer Brett Favre.
Sharpe, along with former NFL punter and current podcast star Pat McAfee was named in a defamation of character suit by Favre based on things they have allegedly said about him being tied to the Mississippi welfare situation.
“Shannon Sharpe and Pat McAfee tried to further their careers by making baseless defamatory allegations against Brett Favre,” a Favre spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
According to documents regarding the lawsuit, Sharpe called Favre a "sleazeball" on FS1 in September while accusing him of stealing $1.1 million in Mississippi welfare funds for speeches he never made. The same documents indicate McAfee allegedly accused Favre of "stealing from the poor people of Mississippi."
“Every time his name gets brought up, we have to mention that he tied the hands of the poor people and took money right out of their pockets,” McAfee said about Favre, per the report regarding the lawsuit.
Favre could have a long. battle on his hands, however. It's often difficult for public figures to prove defamation in court.
Favre would have to prove that Sharpe and McAfee acted maliciously, meaning they made those statements while knowing they were false. Favre would also have to prove that those statements hurt his existing reputation.
This means any improper activities that Favre may have engaged in previously becomes fair game for the defendants in court.
Since some transgressions from Favre's past have been well-documented already, this might only do more harm to the former Packers quarterback.
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