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 Hall of Famer shared his decision on Thursday (April 24) and briefly explained his reasons for doing so.
“My statement is found here and this is the truth,” reads the statement, which was posted on Instagram in the form of a screenshotted iMessage. “The relationship in question was 100% consensual. At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties.” Sharpe is currently a recurring host on First Take.
The former Denver Broncos player explained he came to this decision because he wants to shift his focus to attending to his loved ones and handling the situation head-on. “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 statement continued.
Before signing off, he thanked his supporters once again for riding with him through the chaotic series of events. “I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues. Shannon Sharpe,” the text concluded.
While many people expressed their disappointment with the situation overall, his supporters rallied in the comment section as one of the top replies pointed out Sharpe’s ownership of his content: “Thank God Unc owns his podcast shows, and can continue working while all this is going on.” Another person wrote, “I hope that this is a teachable moment for all to exercise not only discipline over your life but WHO you allow in your life. May Gods will be done.”
On April 20, 2025, a 13-page civil complaint was filed in a Nevada state court accusing the retired tight end of committing assault, sexual assault, battery, and sexual battery, and that he engaged in the intentional infliction of emotional distress. The suit discloses the plaintiff and Sharpe entered a two-year consensual relationship, a sentiment he has agreed with. However, the Jane Doe claims his behavior turned abusive as he allegedly has threatened to kill the plaintiff when she attempted to share her location with friends, raped her, and sexually assaulted her multiple times.
Since then, the Club Shay Shay host and his legal team have vehemently denied the allegations and claimed Jane Doe set up the entire situation with a plan to extort him for $50 million. They revealed her alleged legal name and released text messages where she made sexually graphic requests. The texts were released in an attempt to provide more context about why the 56-year-old responded the way he did during their exchanges.
Sharpe has also accused her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, of targeting Black men, as he is the same attorney who represented JAY-Z and Diddy’s accusers.
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