Jimalita Tillman, who is currently suing Shannon Sharpe and Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson for $20 million over a claim that they allegedly spread “false and defamatory statements” about her, discussed the case during an appearance on The Morning Hustle on Monday. In doing so, she explained that the drama stems from when she attended Usher's concert in London.
Speaking about a viral interaction she had with the iconic singer during the show, Sharpe and Johnson falsely alleged on their podcast, Nightcap, that Tillman was married and now getting a divorce over the moment. In reality, she says she was single while attending 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 said, as caught by Complex. "I'm not a public figure."
"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. In turn, she claimed that the allegations impacted her professional life. "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.
"He knows better," Tillman further 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."
Shannon Sharpe ESPN Firing
The defamation lawsuit comes after ESPN parted ways with Shannon Sharpe, late last month. That move came after he settled a $50 million lawsuit from an anonymous plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe. In her lawsuit, Doe brought forth allegations of rape.
Despite that settlement, Sharpe still denied “all allegations of coercion or misconduct.” “The evidence paints a clear picture: this was a consensual, adult relationship that included role-playing, sexual language, and fantasy scenarios,” his lawyer, Lanny J. Davis, said, according to the New York Post.
