Shannon Sharpe has announced that he is stepping away from his duties at ESPN after being hit with a $50 million rape lawsuit. The 56-year-old former NFL star is facing accusations from a woman now in her 20s, whom he met when she was 19 and then raped her. Sharpe has denied the claims.
"My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual," Sharpe said, adding, "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."
Signs of Defeat
"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," Sharpe added.
Earlier this week, the accuser's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, shared an audio clip in which Sharpe is allegedly heard saying to the woman, "I might choke you in public."
ESPN has finally addressed the controversy involving Sharpe and issued a statement to The Athletic that read: "This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon's decision to step away."
Disturbing video clips have since emerged of Sharpe allegedly threatening to "choke the s***" out of the woman, while his lawyer, Lanny J. Davis, has shared a set of explicit text messages that he claims were sent by the alleged rape victim to Sharpe.
He argued that the messages prove the relationship was consensual and involved "role-playing" and "fantasy."
One of the texts, reportedly sent by the accuser in October 2023, reads: "I want you to put a dog collar around my neck and choke me with it while you're f–king me."
Davis also said this week that Sharpe and the accuser were about to reach a settlement deal valued at "at least $10 million" before she ultimately backed out.
End of the Road
The serious nature of the accusations didn't stop Sharpe form continuing his work as usual as he maintained a defiant stance, appearing regularly on First Take. ESPN noted that his absence on Wednesday was part of his normal schedule.
That same evening, Sharpe posted on social media that he planned to attend the NFL Draft in Green Bay, where he would interview football legends and top draft picks. However, whether he will still show up remains unclear.
Meanwhile, Sharpe's role on First Take has come under increasing scrutiny. His co-host, Stephen A. Smith—who brought Sharpe onto the show in 2023—has begun to subtly distance himself. On his personal YouTube channel, Smith addressed the controversy and raised concerns about some of the tactics used by Sharpe and his legal team.
"On one hand, going on the offensive to defend himself, I completely understand where Shannon Sharpe is coming from," Smith said.
"On the other hand, when his legal team issued out the press release on X, they mentioned her name and revealed some of those explicit text messages, that was uncomfortable, and I don't know if that's a strategy that would work. I know, and I can tell you all I spoke to Shannon, not in details, but I spoke to him, and he emphatically proclaims his innocence."
