Ex-NFL star cut loose by ESPN just days after settling $50M rape lawsuit
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The Athletic first reported the split between the so-called Worldwide Leader and the Hall of Fame tight end on Wednesday.
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Sharpe initially joined the network as part of the First Take program in the fall of 2023 after leaving FS1's Undisputed with Skip Bayless earlier in the year.
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But the 57-year-old legend was rocked by the bombshell civil lawsuit in April, in which it was alleged that he committed assault, sexual assault, sexual battery and battery.
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The unidentified plaintiff accused Sharpe of sexually assaulting her several times beginning in late 2024.
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Sharpe denied 'all allegations of coercion or misconduct' in a statement through his legal counsel, also sharing intimate details of the relationship and graphic messages sent to him from the accuser, according to his lawyer, Lanny J. Davis.
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Among the messages in the statement, the woman — who was only identified as Jane Doe in the court filing — allegedly told Sharpe that she wanted him to 'put a dog collar around my neck' and 'tie me up and do bad things to me,' while also asking for money to come and visit him.
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'The evidence paints a clear picture: this was a consensual, adult relationship that included role-playing, sexual language, and fantasy scenarios,' Davis said.
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