Shannon Sharpe to step away from ESPN amid ongoing se*ual assault lawsuit

On April 20, 2025, American former NFL player Shannon Sharpe was being sued for s*xual assault, assault, s*xual battery, and battery. The case against him was brought by an anonymous woman and her legal team. Because of these charges against him, Sharpe decided to take some time off from his current role as a host at ESPN. Sharpe was a part of the morning sports debate show called First Take.

During his NFL career, Shannon Sharpe was considered to be one of the best tight ends of all time. He has also won three Super Bowl championships, and after his retirement, he became an analyst for The NFL Today on CBS Sports. Sharpe also co-hosted the American talk show Shannon and Skip: Undisputed and hosted a sports podcast called Club Shay Shay.

While the legal proceedings surrounding him are being resolved. Sharpe shared a statement where he said,

"I will be devoting this 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,” Sharpe said in a statement issued on Thursday."

Statements from ESPN and Shannon Sharpe's legal team

After Shannon Sharpe announced his decision to step away from ESPN for the moment, the sports channel expressed its agreement with his decision. Their statement said:

"This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away."

Shannon's legal team also stepped in to give their insights into the allegations that were being thrown at their client. They claimed that the lawsuit was a way to extort money from Sharpe, and he

"categorically denies all allegations of coercion or misconduct," Sharpe's legal team concludes.

More details about the s*xual battery and assault allegations against Shannon Sharpe

The lawsuit filed against Shannon Sharpe was filed by an anonymous woman. She mentioned that the alleged assault happened over a period of two years and that she was being manipulated and controlled by the former NFL football player. In addition to the civil complaint, she also stated her age when she first got involved with the podcaster. Their relationship began in 2023 when she was only 20 years old and the podcaster was 55 years of age.

The complaint also stated that in October 2024 and January 2025, Sharpe

"violently s**ually assaulted and an**ly r**ed Plaintiff... blatantly ignoring her requests for him to stop."

The complaint continued:

"After many months of manipulating and controlling Plaintiff — a woman more than thirty years younger than he — and repeatedly threatening to brutally choke and violently slap her, Sharpe refused to accept the answer no and raped Plaintiff, despite her sobbing and repeated screams of 'no.'"

Jane Doe's attorney provided a statement to CNN. They said:

"It takes a great deal of courage to stand up against those with power, fame and money. I look forward to pressing this case in court."

In response to this, Sharpe's lawyers responded by saying that the relationship the two shared was consensual, even though it was s*xual in nature. They also mentioned:

"in many cases, initiated by her with specific and graphic requests."

According to the suit, the plaintiff is demanding compensation of $50 million, combining both compensatory and punitive damages.

As the legal proceedings unfold, Shannon Sharpe maintains his stance that he is innocent. However, he has decided to temporarily step away from his current role at ESPN.

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