Shannon Sharpe steps down at ESPN amid sexual assault allegations but says he will return
Pro Football Hall of Famer and media personality Shannon Sharpe is stepping away from ESPN amid being embroiled in a $50 million sexual assault and battery civil lawsuit.
Sharpe, who regularly appears as a panelist on "First Take," announced on social media on April 24 that he's decided to take a break from the sports network to focus on the lawsuit.
Sharpe said in a statement:"My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100 % consensual.
"At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties. I will be devoting my time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason. I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, friends and colleagues."
ESPN said in a statement: "This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon's decision to step away."
Sharpe joined "First Take" in August 2023 after he reached a buyout with Fox Sports in June 2023 to leave FS1's "Undisputed." Sharpe appeared alongside Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's "First Take" on Mondays and Tuesdays and signed a multi-year contract with ESPN in June. Sharpe was set to expand his role on "First Take" and his presence across ESPN platforms under the new deal, but he'll now be missing from the ESPN airwaves entirely.
Here's what we know about Sharpe:
Sharpe named in sexual assault, battery civil lawsuit
Sharpe's decision to step away comes on the heels of a civil lawsuit filed against him in Clark County, Nevada on April 20. According to the suit obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the plaintiff, listed under the alias "Jane Doe," alleged that Sharpe sexually assaulted her twice, once in October 2024 and again in January 2025. They met at a Los Angeles gym in 2023 when she was 19.
The plaintiff said she was in a relationship with Sharpe for nearly two years, and it began as a "rocky consensual relationship." The woman says Sharpe became violent over the course of the relationship, threatened to kill her during one incident, and recorded their sexual encounters without her consent.
The lawsuit is seeking $50 million in damages for sexual assault and battery, in addition to engaging in the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Sharpe denied the allegations on Tuesday in an Instagram video, identifying the plaintiff and saying he's the victim of a "blatant set-up" and "shakedown" attempt.
Sharpe's NSFW Instagram Live mishap
In September, Sharpe inadvertently livestreamed audio of him having sex to his roughly 3.2 million followers on Instagram. After initially claiming he was hacked, Sharpe later owned up and apologized for his mistake.
"Obviously I am embarrassed. Someone that is extremely, extremely private and to have one of your most intimate details – the audio – heard for the entire world to hear, I'm embarrassed for a number of reasons," Sharpe said at the time on the "Nightcap" podcast. "There are a lot of people that count on Shannon to be professional at all times and I always try to be professional at all times, even when I'm behind closed doors."
Sharpe didn't face any discipline from ESPN over the incident.
Shannon Sharpe: Star athlete to social media star
Sharpe played 14 seasons in the NFL (1990-2003), primarily for the Denver Broncos, where he played two separate stints (1990-99, 2002-03) and won two Super Bowls (1998 and 99). He also won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001. Sharpe, an eight-time Pro Bowler, was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Following his successful football career, Sharpe transitioned to sports commentary. He served as a commentator for CBS Sports' "The NFL Today" from 2004-2014 and later joined FS1's "Undisputed" alongside co-host Skip Bayless in 2016. The pairing of Sharpe and Bayless was gold for TV ratings, but their on-air chemistry turned contentious.
Tensions between Sharpe and Bayless spilled over onto the broadcast in January 2023 following Bayless' controversial tweet about Damar Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest during the Buffalo Bills' Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Sharpe no-showed "Undisputed" the next morning, then confronted Bayless when he returned.
"There's been a lot of speculation to why I wasn't on air yesterday... Skip tweeted something... and hopefully Skip would take it down," Sharpe said, before Bayless interjected: "Timeout, I'm not gonna take it down, because I stand by what I tweeted." Sharpe responded, "I can't even get through a monologue without you interrupting."
Sharpe filmed his last show for "Undisputed" in June 2023 after negotiating a buyout with Fox Sports.
What's next for Shannon Sharpe? Podcast empire
Sharpe has his podcast empire to keep him busy. Sharpe created "Club Shay Shay" in 2020. After leaving FS1's "Undisputed," Sharpe signed a media deal to partner with The Volume, Colin Cowherd's digital podcast network in August 2023. "Club Shay Shay" has amassed nearly 4 million subscribers on YouTube and has featured many guests, including comedian Katt Williams and U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris. "Nightcap," a nighttime podcast Sharpe co-hosts with Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, has more than 1.7M subscribers since launching on September 2023.
'Club Shay Shay' won the 2025 the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Podcast in Society and Culture and Sharpe this week won a 2025 Webby Award.
Last week, Front Office Sports reported that Sharpe was nearing a new podcast deal that exceeds $100 million.
Shannon Sharpe in Indiana
Sharpe is no stranger to Indianapolis. He's revealed that one of his favorite restaurants is in the city.
He took exception to being the butt of jokes in comedian Mike Epps' standup performance and challenged the Indianapolis native to approach him when the two were scheduled to be in town for prominent roles at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Sharpe also spoke that week at Steward Speakers programs at Mt. Olive Baptist Church and Warren Central High School.
Contributing: Scooby Axon, Steve Gardner, Chris Bumbaca.
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