Shannon Sharpe to step away from ESPN

Shannon Sharpe, Pro Football Hall of Famer and prominent ESPN analyst, announced on Thursday that he is temporarily stepping away from his duties at the network amid a $50 million civil lawsuit filed by an ex-girlfriend accusing him of sexual assault and battery—allegations he strongly denies

In a statement shared on social media, Sharpe addressed the situation:

“The relationship in question was 100 percent 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,” the statement continued. “I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues.”

Sharpe’s attorney characterized the lawsuit as being based on “lies and distortions,” asserting that Sharpe intends to vigorously contest the claims in court.

While Sharpe has not specified whether he will continue with his podcast “Nightcap with Chad Johnson” or further develop his Club Shay Shay media company during this period, his focus remains on addressing the allegations and supporting his family.

Sharpe joined ESPN’s “First Take” in September 2023 after a successful tenure at FS1’s “Undisputed.” His dynamic presence alongside Stephen A. Smith contributed to a significant boost in the show’s ratings.

ESPN responded to the Shannon Sharpe controversy and said in a statement: “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”

Just last week Sharpe was in the news for an entirely different reason. According to a report, Sharpe was on the verge of a $100 million-plus podcast deal. Front Office Sports reported that Sharpe’s media deal with Colin Cowherd’s The Volume podcast network is up and Sharpe had received multiple offers with the expectation of him signing a new deal that would exceed $100 million.