Shannon Sharpe Ousted at ESPN Less Than 2 Weeks After Settling Rape Lawsuit

ESPN is moving on from Shannon Sharpe less than two weeks after the NFL Hall of Famer settled a rape lawsuit filed by a former girlfriend. 

Sharpe, 57, will not return to the network, according to a report by The Athletic published on Wednesday, July 30. 

Us Weekly reached out to ESPN, who declined to comment, and to representatives for Sharpe. 

The news comes after Sharpe settled a $50 million rape and sexual assault lawsuit on July 18 out of court. 

“After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution,” Sharpe’s accuser’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, wrote via X. “All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.”

No criminal charges were filed against Sharpe and financial details of the settlement were not publicly released. 

Sharpe denied the allegations throughout the process and vowed to return to the network after announcing a leave of absence in April. He had not appeared on air since. 

“At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties,” Sharpe posted via his Instagram Story on April 24. “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.”

The NFL preseason gets underway on Thursday, July 31, when the Detroit Lions face the Los Angeles Chargers in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Sharpe added, “I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, friends, fans and colleagues.”

In 2023, Sharpe joined ESPN morning show First Take as a recurring panelist. Sharpe later signed a multiyear deal to expand his role on the show in June 2024. 

During his television hiatus, Sharpe has continued to host his podcasts, “Club Shay Shay” and “Nightcap,” the latter of which he cohosts with former NFL player Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. 

In May, Sharpe announced they had made the decision to postpone a “Nightcap” eight-city podcast tour. 

“We look forward to seeing you guys in the summer of 2026,” Sharpe said on the May 23 episode. “It’s going to be even bigger, even better. But Ocho and I have come to the conclusion that this is the best thing as of right now, was to postpone the tour. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you in 2026.”

In the now-settled lawsuit, filed in Nevada on April 20, Sharpe was accused of committing assault, sexual assault, battery and sexual battery against an unidentified woman, named only as Jane Doe. 

Doe alleged she met Sharpe at a Los Angeles gym when she was 20 years old and he was in his mid-50s.

According to the woman, she and Sharpe had “a rocky consensual relationship” over a two year span, during which she alleged that Sharpe inflicted intentional emotional distress. Among the allegations, Doe accused Sharpe of sometimes recording their sexual activity without her consent and then showing the footage to others.

The woman accused Sharpe of raping her twice, once in October 2024 and again in January. 

Lanny J. Davis, Sharpe’s attorney, told Us Weekly on April 21 that Doe’s lawsuit is “filled with lies, distortions and misrepresentations — and it will not succeed.” He accused the woman of attempting “a blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars.”

Sharpe denied all of the lawsuit’s accusations, including “the gross lie of ‘rape.’”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).