Shannon Sharpe will not return to ESPN following the settlement of a $50 million rape lawsuit, according to The Athletic. Sharpe, who appeared on the morning series First Take, first stepped away from the network in April when details emerged of the lawsuit in which he was accused of sexual assault and sexual battery. At the time, he said he planned to return “at the start of the NFL preseason” and described the hiatus as being temporary.
Reps for ESPN and reps for Sharpe did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment.
When Shape announced plans to temporarily halt appearances on the network, ESPN said in a statement regarding the motion: “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”
The civil complaint filed in Nevada by a Jane Doe plaintiff claimed that Sharpe allegedly assaulted her during a “rocky consensual relationship that lasted nearly two years,” which began in 2023 when she was 19 years old. The lawsuit also claimed that Sharpe “violently sexually assaulted and anally raped Plaintiff two different times” in October 2024 and alleged that he would record and share videos of his sexual encounters with Doe without her consent or knowledge.
Sharpe described the allegations at the time as “false and disruptive,” adding, “The relationship in question was 100% consensual.”
Earlier this month, following the settlement, the plaintiff’s attorney Tony Buzbee said in a statement to Rolling Stone: “Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship. 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 was dismissed without prejudice. Currently, Sharpe continues to host the podcasts Club Shay Shay and Nightcap with Chad Ochocinco Johnson.
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