Shannon Sharpe announced Thursday that he has decided to temporarily step away from his ESPN duties, four days after a woman filed a $50-million civil lawsuit in which she accuses the “First Take” panelist of raping her while they were in a two-year relationship.
The lawsuit, filed Sunday in Clark County, Nev., seeks damages for claims of assault, sexual assault, battery, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress while alleging multiple nonconsensual sexual encounters in her Las Vegas apartment between October and January.
“The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe wrote in a statement posted on his X and Instagram accounts Thursday, hours before the start of the NFL draft. “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 season.”
An ESPN spokesperson said in a statement emailed to The Times that “this is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”
Sharpe, a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end, first addressed the allegations Tuesday in a video posted on Instagram, in which he called the lawsuit “a shakedown.” Lawyers for both sides have acknowledged that Sharpe offered at least $10 million to settle the case in mediation before the lawsuit was filed, but the accuser declined the offer.
Sharpe, 56, first appeared on “First Take” in August 2023, two months after his seven-year run as a co-host on FS1’s “Undisputed” with Skip Bayless came to an end. In June 2024, Sharpe signed a multiyear contract with ESPN that expanded his role on “First Take” and other shows on ESPN as well.
“Being a part of this family has been a blessing,” Sharpe said at the time. “Everything about this relationship with ESPN, Stephen A. [Smith], and ‘First Take,’ has been tremendous. I look forward to expanding my role and showing more of the world what I have to offer.”
In September, Sharpe was involved in an incident in which he claims he accidentally livestreamed audio of himself having sex on Instagram Live. Sharpe was not publicly disciplined by ESPN.
Sharpe also is a successful podcaster, hosting shows such as “Club Shay Shay” and “Nightcap.” On Friday, Front Office Sports reported that Sharpe’s media deal with the Volume podcast network expired and Sharpe “has received multiple offers and is expected to sign a deal that would exceed $100 million.”
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