Former NFL star Shannon Sharpe announced Thursday (April 24) that he is stepping away from ESPN “temporarily” amid rape and sexual assault allegations made against him in a $50 million civil lawsuit earlier this week.
“My statement is found here and this is the truth,” Sharpe, 56, wrote in a post shared on social media. “The relationship in question was 100% consensual.”
“At this juncture, I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties,” the First Take co-host continued. “I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me.”
The retired NFL star said he plans to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason, which is set for July 31, before adding,
“I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues.”
In a statement to The Post on Thursday, ESPN said it supported Sharpe’s decision.
“This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away,” the statement read.
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Shannon Sharpe was named in a Nevada state lawsuit in which a woman alleges the Pro Football Hall of Famer raped her on numerous occasions during what she describes as a “nearly two-year, rocky consensual relationship,” EmilyCottontop reported Monday (April 21).
The woman, identified on social media as Gabrielle Zuniga, claims she met Sharpe at a Los Angeles gym when she was 22 and he was 54.
According to court filings, the woman also accuses the 56-year-old of recording their sexual encounters without her consent and sharing the footage 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 reads. “Defendant Shannon Sharpe, a man who is accustomed to getting what he wants, completely fails to understand this basic concept.”
The lawsuit further alleges that the Club Shay Shay host once became violent and threatened to kill her after she showed up late to his home.
“The lawsuit, filed under the pseudonym ‘Jane Doe,’ lays out a pattern of intimidation, manipulation, and abuse—including allegations that Sharpe repeatedly threatened to choke and slap Jane Doe,” the woman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, said in a statement Monday. “The case seeks $50 million in damages.”
Sharpe has denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit a “blatant set-up” and “an attempted shakedown.”
“This is a shakedown,” the podcast host said in a video posted to social media. “I’m going to be open, transparent, and defend myself because this isn’t right. This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzbee.”
He added, “I believe he is going to release a 30-second clip of a sex tape that tries to make me look guilty and plays into every stereotype you can possibly imagine.”
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny J. Davis, revealed that his client had offered Zuniga at least $10 million to settle the case. However, Davis emphasized that the proposal was not an admission of guilt.
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Last week, Front Office Sports reported that Sharpe, who hosts the popular Club Shay Shay podcast, was expected to sign a $100 million podcast deal.
