ESPN dismissed former NFL player and television commentator Shannon Sharpe less than two weeks after he paid $50 million to settle a r@pe lawsuit brought by his ex-girlfriend, according to The Athletic. Since leaving the network in April to return to ESPN’s broadcasts for the football season, Sharpe has not appeared on the network.
Sharpe was accused of having many nonconsensual sex encounters at the accuser’s Las Vegas apartment, and the civil case was filed in Clark County, Nevada, demanding damages for claims of assault, sexual assault, battery, and sexual battery, as well as intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Shortly after his ex-girlfriend filed the lawsuit, Shannon Sharpe publicly refuted the accusations and referred to the case as a “shakedown.” He stated that the connection, which took place between 2024 and 2025, was voluntary.
Sharpe claims that he unintentionally livestreamed audio of himself having s£x on Instagram last autumn, which led to another sexual event.
Twelve of Sharpe’s 14 years in the NFL were spent in Denver. He is considered one of the greatest tight ends in league history and caught passes from John Elway to win two Super Bowls for the Broncos.
Sharpe has maintained his reputation as one of the most vocal television announcers after retiring following the 2003 season.
