Shannon Sharpe out at ESPN after settling sexual assault lawsuit
Shannon Sharpe is out at ESPN just weeks after he settled a $50 million lawsuit where an unnamed woman accused him of raping her in Las Vegas, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Review-Journal.
Sharpe, 57, a former NFL star and popular media personality, took a voluntary leave from ESPN in April upon the filing of the lawsuit in District Court by a Jane Doe. Sharpe was featured on ESPN’s sports talk show “First Take” and has multiple popular podcasts, on which he has remained active throughout the legal ordeal.
Sharpe said he intended to return to his role at ESPN in a statement announcing he was taking a hiatus from the network.
A representative of Sharpe didn’t immediately return request for comment Wednesday on the former NFL player’s separation from ESPN.
The accuser’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, announced on July 19 on X that the case had been settled out of court following negotiations, noting the Sharpe and the accuser were previously in a long-term relationship.
“The lawsuit will be dismissed with prejudice,” Buzbee said in the X post.
Court records confirm that the lawsuit was dismissed on July 19.
The lawsuit accused Sharpe of sexually assaulting the accuser on two occasions at her Las Vegas apartment.
Sharpe, who has a residence in Las Vegas according to the lawsuit, initially denied the allegations, calling them a “shakedown” in a video posted to social media. Sharpe’s legal team then released several messages between Sharpe and the accuser, where they released her name and included some sexually explicit images of the woman.
The Metropolitan Police Department said in April that they were not investigating Sharpe in relation to the allegations.
During his 14-year NFL career Sharpe played in over 200 games, won three Super Bowls, racking up over 10,000 receiving yards and netting 62 touchdowns. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
