ESPN has parted ways with Shannon Sharpe after the former NFL star turned sports pundit settled a $50 million civil sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by a woman with whom he had a “consensual relationship.”
Though Sharpe, 57, ultimately settled with the woman who is over 30 years his junior, the NFL Hall of Famer will not be returning as a commentator on ESPN’s First Take as initially planned, The Independent reported.
In April, Sharpe took to social media to announce he was “electing” to temporarily step aside from ESPN’s First Take as he battled the civil sexual assault lawsuit, Face2Face Africa reported.
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“My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” the former Denver Broncos star wrote on X at the time. “At this juncture I’m electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties.”
Sharpe in his statement had also said that he planned to “return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”
First Take is a sports debate show hosted by Stephen A. Smith, and Sharpe usually joins the roundtable chat on Mondays and Tuesdays. Besides that, he is also the host of his Club Shay Shay podcast.
“This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away,” ESPN said in a statement at the time.
The announcement of Sharpe reaching the settlement with his alleged victim was made on July 18 by Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the plaintiff, The Los Angeles Times reported.
“On April 20, 2025, The Buzbee Law Firm filed a complaint in Nevada making several allegations against Shannon Sharpe on behalf of our client,” Buzbee wrote in a statement on Instagram.
“Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship,” Buzbee added. “After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution. All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.”
The details of the settlement were, however, not shared. The legal team representing Sharpe also told the news outlet that a settlement had indeed been reached, adding that the statement from Buzbee was to be deemed as the “final word” on the case.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Sharpe initially attempted to prevent his rape case from escalating as the retired NFL star reportedly tabled a monetary offer to his accuser, identified as Jane Doe, in an attempt to settle the issue before it made the news.
Doe in her lawsuit filed in April stated that she and Sharpe met at a Los Angeles gym in 2023. She said she was 20 years old at the time, and she and Sharpe established a consensual relationship. She, however, claimed that the relationship was abusive and controlling.
Doe in her lawsuit also accused Sharpe of raping her in 2024 after she attempted to end their relationship. She alleged Sharpe sexually assaulted her again in January 2025, per TMZ. Sharpe has, however, denied the allegations.
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