CINCINNATI (WKRC) – NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and Bengals Ring of Honor inductee Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson have settled a $20 million defamation lawsuit filed by Jimalita Tillman, marking Sharpe’s second lawsuit settlement in less than a month. The lawsuit, which was dismissed with prejudice by a U.S. District Court in Illinois, stemmed from comments made by the Nightcap co-hosts about a viral video involving Tillman and singer Usher.
Tillman attended an Usher concert in April in London, where a video of Usher feeding her a cherry went viral. The Nightcap hosts allegedly claimed on their show that Tillman was married and going through a divorce, implying the incident contributed to the dissolution of her marriage. Tillman, however, stated she was not married at the time and that the comments negatively impacted her personal and professional life. That clip has since been scrubbed from social media and websites.
“There are several inaccurate media reports that speculate on monies being paid to Miss Tillman,” Sharpe wrote on Instagram, clarifying that there was no financial aspect to the settlement. “These statements are completely false.”
“We were able to put this matter behind us without a long-drawn-out court matter,” Tillman stated to Fox32 in Chicago. “We look forward to future discussions about the positive contributions Mr. Sharpe and I both make to the community.”
The settlement follows Sharpe’s recent resolution of a $50 million sexual assault lawsuit. Sharpe, who was dropped by ESPN in late July, continues to host his popular podcast and YouTube shows, Club Shay Shay and Nightcap with Johnson.
Johnson, who was inducted into the Bengals Ring of Honor in 2023, was the 36th overall selection in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He is the franchise’s all-time leading receiver with 10,783 yards in 10 seasons. He finished with 766 career receptions for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns following a season with the New England Patriots. Johnson was selected to play in six Pro Bowls and was named a four-time All-Pro. In addition to hosting podcasts he’s a FOX Sports analyst and has done several other TV stints including Inside the NFL on The CW.