ESPN Cut Ties With Shannon Sharpe Following Settlement Of Sexual Assault Lawsuit

ESPN has cut ties with NFL Hall of Famer and media analyst Shannon Sharpe less than two weeks after he settled a lawsuit in which his ex-girlfriend accused him of rape.

Sharpe has not been on ESPN since late April, when the suit was first filed. He said at the time that he would return to ESPN at the beginning of NFL training camp.

The woman, known as “Jane Doe” in the suit, was seeking $50 million for “pain and suffering, psychological and emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation.” Sharpe publicly denied the allegations immediately after his accuser filed the suit in April.

He has maintained that he and the Nevada woman were in a consensual sexual relationship.

Since retiring from the NFL, Sharpe, 57, has had a long media career, first as an NFL studio analyst and then as a sports talk host at FS1, where he rose to greater prominence debating Skip Bayless on “Undisputed.” After that run ended in 2023, Sharpe joined “First Take” as a twice-weekly foil for Stephen A. Smith.

He also hosts two popular podcasts, Club Shay Shay and Nightcap with Ocho, the latter alongside former NFL receiver Chad Ochocinco. Both shows are currently distributed by The Volume, though that agreement is set to expire at the end of August.