ESPN Parts Company With Shannon Sharpe

Shannon Sharpe Out At ESPN

Pro Football Hall of Famer and Former NFL Tight End, Shannon Sharpe is no longer with ESPN following the settlement of a $50 million sexual assault lawsuit filed against him in April 2025. 

The lawsuit, filed in Clark County, Nevada, by a woman under the pseudonym "Jane Doe," accused Sharpe of sexual assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress during a nearly two-year relationship that began in 2023 when they met at a Los Angeles gym. 

The plaintiff, who was 19 at the time and Sharpe 56, alleged the relationship started as consensual but became "controlling" and "abusive," with specific incidents of non-consensual encounters in October 2024 and January 2025. Sharpe denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit a "shakedown" and insisting the relationship was "100% consensual." His attorney, Lanny J. Davis, claimed the accusations were filled with "lies, distortions, and misrepresentations."

Sharpe announced a temporary step back from his ESPN duties on April 24, 2025, to focus on his family and address the allegations, with plans to return for the NFL preseason starting July 31, 2025. 

However, on July 18, 2025, the lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount, with the plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, stating that both parties acknowledged a "long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship" and that the case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. 

Despite the settlement, ESPN decided to part ways with Sharpe.  Sharpe had been a key commentator on ESPN’s First Take since joining in 2023 after leaving FS1’s Undisputed.