Shannon Sharpe Defamation Accuser on Lawsuit: ‘I Will Pro…
Jimalita Tillman, the Chicago woman who recently lobbed a $20 million lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, is setting the story straight about her intentions.
Tillman took to The Morning Hustle to speak about the lawsuit, which was filed in April and moved to federal court in Chicago this past week. The story began when Tillman was one of the lucky fans chosen to share a steamy moment with Usher and some cherries in London back in April shortly before Sharpe and Johnson recorded an episode of their podcast, Nightcap.
According to court documents reviewed by Complex, the hosts falsely alleged she was married at the time of the concert and was now in the process of a divorce as a result of the viral interaction. Tillman clarified she was single at the time of the concert.
“I’m a private citizen, and in the rules when it comes to that… you better fact check and double check what you’re saying and what you’re doing, because it’s wrong,” Tillman asserted. “I’m not a public figure.”
Tillman alleges that initially asked she for the clip to be taken down and to be issued a public apology paired with a retraction, but her requests were ignored. “The other thing about it is people, like smaller-level platforms, were citing him as the journalistic news source where it came from,” she said, emphasizing the spread of information far past what she felt that she could control.
She further claims that the allegations have made their way into her professional life as an art executive and homeschooling advocate. “Every time I enter a meeting for funding, for programming and activations and things, it comes up. I’m tired of being the punchline when it comes to that aspect,” she said.
Tillman compares her legal battle to the story of David and Goliath, further clarifying that this isn’t about Sharpe or Johnson, but rather their “award-winning, multi-million dollar funded institution.” She points her finger to Pink Deer, the production company behind the podcast, and focuses on the alleged lack of ethics and fact checking.
“He knows better,” Tillman said of Sharpe. “You should be able to double check what you’re saying. And the way they kept my image up, the way they kept it going in the chat and was going on and on, it was mortifying.”
“This institution of Shay Shay Media does not have a policy in place about false information, reporting information, retracting. There is nothing anywhere on Shay Shay Media that states that. They do not feel that they have to be held accountable, and they do. They’re one of many.”
Tillman doesn’t want to stop at the Chicago courts and intends to take the case to Congress.
She also says it is “coincidental” the news of her lawsuit coincided with his recent dismissal from ESPN, where he was an NFL/NBA Analyst on First Take from 2023 to 2025.
“I don’t got nothing against that man, but at the end of the day, I will protect my name,” Tillman assured.
Sharpe also recently settled with Gabrielle Zuniga, an OnlyFans model who accused the sports broadcaster of sexual assault. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount of money.