Shannon Sharpe’s time at ESPN may be over for good amid his announcing a break from the network and a new report alleging that he choked a female production assistant in 2010.
The Disney-owned company has decided to bench Sharpe from his regular Monday and Tuesday slot on First Take, according to reports from Deadline. Whether or not Sharpe returns to the show, led by Stephen A. Smith, is reportedly still TBD.
According to Sharpe, however, the decision to step away was made independently. The Washington Post reports that ESPN “supports” his decision, labeling the situation “serious.”
This comes four days after a woman filed a $50 million civil lawsuit against Sharpe, in which she accuses the former NFL star of raping her while they were in a two-year relationship. In a statement shared on social media, Sharpe stated that his testimony was “the truth” and that his relationship with the woman in question was “100% consensual.”
“At this juncture, I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties. I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”
“I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues,” Shannon concluded.
ESPN reportedly intends to “further investigate” the case, according to one of Deadline’s corporate sources. Sharpe insists that the lawsuit is a “shakedown.” Shannon’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, revealed earlier this week that the podcast host offered to write his accuser a $10 million check to keep this situation from coming to light, which has also reportedly “raised concerns” at ESPN.
Shannon Sharpe Previously Faced Allegations Of Sexual Assault, Choking
This is not the first time Sharpe has faced allegations of misconduct. Front Office Sports reports that in 2010, he temporarily stepped away from his role on CBS’s The NFL Today after a woman accused him of sexual assault; the case was dismissed, and he returned to the network.
Additionally, during his tenure at Fox Sports’ Undisputed, Front Office Sports reports that Sharpe was accused of choking a female production assistant in the workplace. Citing sources, the outlet reports that Sharpe and Fox settled the matter privately for several hundred thousand dollars, and no lawsuit was filed. Sharpe’s representative has denied the choking allegation, characterizing the incident as a “playful” interaction among colleagues.
As previously reported, a Jane Doe filed a lawsuit in Nevada on Sunday, accusing the podcast personality of raping her twice in Las Vegas in October and one more time in January, according to the suit. The woman said she was 19 years old in 2023 when she first met Sharpe, 56, in a Los Angeles gym, which led to a “rocky consensual relationship” of nearly two years. She claims Sharpe was frequently “aggressive” and raped her multiple times, according to the Clark County civil complaint.
Shannon Sharpe has denied all allegations.
