Shannon Sharpe Elects To “Step Aside Temporarily” From His ESPN Duties Amid Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Amid facing serious allegations of sexual assault and battery, Shannon Sharpe is choosing to take a leave of absence from his role at ESPN. The 56-year-old former Denver Broncos tight end said he needs time away from the studios to fight allegations that he called “false and disruptive.” “At this juncture I am electing to [...] Read More... from Shannon Sharpe Elects To “Step Aside Temporarily” From His ESPN Duties Amid Sexual Assault Lawsuit The post Shannon Sharpe Elects To “Step Aside Temporarily” From His ESPN Duties Amid Sexual Assault Lawsuit appeared first on LOVEBSCOTT.
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Amid facing serious allegations of sexual assault and battery, Shannon Sharpe is choosing to take a leave of absence from his role at ESPN.
The 56-year-old former Denver Broncos tight end said he needs time away from the studios to fight allegations that he called “false and disruptive.”
“At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties,” he said in a statement.
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) April 24, 2025
The first NFL exhibition game is set for July 31, with the regular season likely to kick off Thursday, Sept. 4. Sharpe hopes to be back behind the mic by then.
“I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me,” he said. “I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”
An ESPN representative said that Sharpe, a frequent panelist on the show “First Take,” is right to take a break from the cable sports outfit.
“This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away,” the ESPN spokesperson said.
A woman filed a lawsuit in Nevada on Sunday, accusing Sharpe of raping her twice in Las Vegas in October and one more time in January, according to the suit.
The woman said she was 19 years old in 2023 when she first met Sharpe in a Los Angeles gym, leading to a “rocky consensual relationship” of nearly two years in which he was frequently “aggressive” and raped her, according to the Clark County civil complaint.
Sharpe has denied all allegations.
A representative for the plaintiff could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday.
Since the end of his playing days, Sharpe has had a long career in the studio as a football analyst for CBS, Fox Sports and ESPN.
And in more recent years, he has launched a popular podcast, “Club Shay Shay.”
via: NBC News
The post Shannon Sharpe Elects To “Step Aside Temporarily” From His ESPN Duties Amid Sexual Assault Lawsuit appeared first on LOVEBSCOTT.
