Shannon Sharpe announced Thursday that he has decided to temporarily step away from his ESPN duties days after a woman filed a $50 million civil lawsuit against the Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end, accusing him of rape during their two-year relationship.
Sharpe is accused of becoming increasingly verbally abusive, controlling and violent over time, once threatening to kill her and recording their sexual encounters without consent, the Associated Press reported.
“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,” Sharpe said in a statement posted on X, hours before the NFL Draft begins.
The former professional athlete first appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” in August 2023 and signed a multi-year contract with ESPN in June 2024. In addition to his work on ESPN, Sharpe is a successful podcaster, hosting shows like “Club Shay Shay” and “Nightcap.”
Sharpe first addressed the lawsuit in a video posted on Instagram Tuesday, saying it was 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 that offer was declined by the accuser.
The post Shannon Sharpe temporarily steps away from ESPN after woman files $50M civil lawsuit appeared first on KTLA.
