Shannon Sharpe Cut from ESPN After He Settles $50 Million Rape Lawsuit: Report

Yahoo

2 days ago

Sharpe was accused of rape and sexual assault in April by a woman who claims she met him at a Los Angeles gymNEED TO KNOW
ESPN has parted ways with Shannon Sharpe, according to The Athletic
The decision comes less than two weeks after Sharpe settled a $50 million rape and sexual assault lawsuit filed earlier this year on undisclosed terms
Sharpe stepped away from ESPN in April to spend time with family and handle the "false and disruptive allegations" against him, he said at the timeESPN and Shannon Sharpe have parted ways, according to The Athletic, less than two weeks after Sharpe settled a $50 million rape and sexual assault lawsuit that was filed against him earlier this year.
On Wednesday, July 30, The Athletic reported that multiple sources told them the network has cut ties with the 57-year-old football Hall of Famer.
Sharpe, who first joined ESPN as an analyst in August 2023 following his departure from FS1's Undisputed, has not been on the network since the lawsuit against him was filed in April.
PEOPLE has reached out to ESPN for comment.
Sharpe's lawyers "reached a mutually agreed upon resolution" with his accuser's attorney, Tony Buzbee, on July 19, Buzbee confirmed to PEOPLE.
When the lawsuit was filed in April, Sharpe denied any wrongdoing and issued a statement announcing he would step away from his role at ESPN to focus on "devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me."
In the statement, published on April 24, Sharpe wrote, 'My statement is found here and this is the truth,' and claimed, "The relationship in question was 100% consensual." He also said he intended to return to ESPN "at the start of the NFL preseason."
In a statement to Variety, ESPN said that it agreed with Sharpe's decision to step aside in April.
The woman, now a Nevada resident, claimed in her lawsuit that she met Sharpe at a Los Angeles gym in 2023 when she was 22 years old. She claims the former NFL player made advances toward her on multiple occasions before she finally agreed to meet up with him. He then allegedly asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement, but dropped the request after she pushed back, according to the lawsuit.
The woman alleged that Sharpe also recorded their sexual encounters without her consent and shared the recordings with others. "A woman can say 'yes' to consensual sexual relations with a man ninety-nine times, but when she says 'no' even once, that 'no' means no," the complaint stated. "Defendant Shannon Sharpe, a man who is accustomed to getting what he wants, completely fails to understand this basic concept."
https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf
The lawsuit recounted a subsequent alleged incident, during which she claims Sharpe became violent with her and threatened to kill her after she showed up late to his home.
Buzbee told PEOPLE in the July 19 statement that '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 will thus be dismissed with prejudice,' he added.
Read the original article on People