Shannon Sharpe Out at ESPN After Settling Sexual Assault Lawsuit: Report

Funky Friday

ESPN has reportedly parted ways with analyst Shannon Sharpe less than two weeks after he agreed to a settlement on a sexual assault lawsuit.

The lawsuit first came to light in April. In it, the woman claimed she and Sharpe were in a consensual but “abusive” relationship in which Sharpe raped her multiple times. With the suit, she sought $50 million in damages.

Sharpe quickly denied the allegations. Shortly after, both sides began releasing various pieces of evidence — including voicemails and text messages — to support their side of the argument. A few days after the lawsuit was filed, it was announced that Sharpe would be stepping away from ESPN.

In the middle of July, the woman’s legal team — led by lawyer Tony Buzbee — announced that the sides had come to an agreement on a settlement. No further details were revealed.

According to Wednesday report from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Sharpe is officially out at the network:

Sharpe has not been on ESPN since late April, when the suit was first filed. Sharpe denied the allegations and said at the time that he would return to ESPN at the beginning of NFL training camp. ESPN declined to comment.

Sharpe’s time at ESPN lasted just under two years. Following an ugly break-up with Fox Sports, he joined Fox’s main rival in September 2023. He appeared on the network’s flagship morning program First Take multiple times a week.

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