Shannon Sharpe, a former NFL star and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has left ESPN just weeks after settling a lawsuit with a woman who accused him of sexual assault and other serious charges.
Sharpe was a regular on ESPN’s morning show First Take. A source told CNN he is no longer working with the network.
The news comes shortly after Sharpe settled a legal case with a woman who claimed he assaulted and sexually assaulted her multiple times. The woman chose to stay anonymous. The case ended in a private agreement, and details of the settlement were not made public.
On Wednesday, Sharpe, 56, talked about the situation on his podcast Nightcap with Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. He said he was thankful for his time at ESPN but sad about the timing of his departure.
He said he learned earlier in the week that ESPN was letting him go. He had asked the network to wait until Monday to make it public because his brother, Sterling Sharpe, is being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this Saturday. He wanted the focus to be on his brother and family.
Sharpe said he apologized to Sterling for the timing and said Sterling was supportive, calling Shannon his “hero” and “role model.”
Sharpe added that he respected ESPN’s decision but wished it had come after his brother’s big moment. “We’re the first two brothers to both be in the Hall of Fame, and now the headlines are about this,” he said.
Sharpe’s lawyer declined to comment. The website The Athletic first reported his departure.
The woman’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, said both sides had a long, rocky relationship and reached a private agreement after respectful talks. The lawsuit, which had asked for over $50 million in damages, is now officially closed. Sharpe’s team confirmed the statement but said he wouldn’t say anything more about it.
Shannon Sharpe’s lawyers earlier called the lawsuit, which was filed in April, an attempt to get money from the well-known podcaster. They said Sharpe completely denies all claims of pressure or wrongdoing.
Sharpe also disagreed with the accusations.
“To my family, friends, supporters, and coworkers, I want to speak honestly,” Sharpe said in a video on X in April. “This is an attempt to extort me. I will be open and honest while defending myself, because this is not right.”
The lawsuit, filed in a Las Vegas court, was made by a woman using the name “Jane Doe.” She accused the former NFL star of trying to control her over a nearly two-year relationship that started in 2023, when she was 20 years old and the relationship was at first consensual.
The complaint said Sharpe violently sexually assaulted her in October 2024 and again in January 2025 in Las Vegas, ignoring her pleas to stop.
It also said that Sharpe had threatened to choke and slap her, and raped her despite her crying and yelling “no.”
When asked if Jane Doe went to the police, her lawyer Tony Buzbee said he couldn’t answer.
Sharpe’s lawyer, Lanny J. Davis, said the woman was trying to blackmail Sharpe and that their relationship was consensual and sexual, often started by her with specific and graphic requests.
Sharpe, who entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011, was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1990 and retired in 2003. He was the top tight end in NFL history at the time, in catches, yards, and touchdowns.
He won two Super Bowls with the Broncos and one more with the Baltimore Ravens.
After retiring, Sharpe became a TV personality and now hosts a popular podcast called “Club Shay Shay.”
In June 2024, ESPN signed a new multi-year deal with him. He had joined the “First Take” show in August 2023.
After the lawsuit became public, Sharpe said he would temporarily step away from ESPN.
“I’ll use this time to be with my family and deal with these false and harmful claims. I plan to return when the NFL preseason starts,” he said.
ESPN supported his decision and said, “This is a serious matter, and we agree with Shannon’s choice to step away.”
ESPN did not give any further comment, including after the case was settled on July 18.
Published: 31th July 2025
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