ESPN cuts ties with Shannon Sharpe following sexual assault settlement

Weeks after Shannon Sharpe settled his sexual assault lawsuit, ESPN has severed its ties with the NFL player turned host.

Shannon Sharpe and ESPN’s partnership has ended. The sports network told The New York Times’ “The Athletic” that it has officially cut ties with the NFL Hall of Famer. 

The decision, announced Wednesday, comes weeks after Sharpe reportedly settled a $50 million lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault. When the legal accusations first emerged in April, Sharpe announced his plans to step back from his appearance on the network. 

“At this juncture, I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties,” he stated, as previously reported by theGrio. “I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me.”

At the time, Sharpe also shared plans to return to the network at the beginning of the NFL season. The former NFL star, who played for the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens, appeared regularly on ESPN’s sports debate show, “First Take.” In 2024, Sharpe signed a new contract with ESPN, expanding his work with the network to include features in more of its programming. 

Earlier this month, the former NFL tight-end settled his lawsuit with Gabriella Zuniga, the Jane Doe who alleged sexual assault, harassment, battery, rape, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Zuniga’s lawyer, Tony Buzzbee, announced news of the settlement via X: 

JANE DOE V. SHANNON SHARPE

On April 20, 2025, The Buzbee Law Firm filed a complaint in Nevada making several allegations against Shannon Sharpe on behalf of our client. Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship. After protracted and respectful…

— Tony Buzbee (@TonyBuzbee2) July 18, 2025

Both parties acknowledged they were in a “long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship.” Sharpe, who maintained his innocence, has maintained a fairly low profile, postponing his anticipated “Nightcap” tour and only releasing two new episodes of his podcast “Club Shay Shay.”