Shannon Sharpe is stepping away from ESPN. He's doing so after being hit with a $50 million lawsuit. The suit accuses him of sexual assault and battery.
Sharpe has denied all the allegations. On Thursday, he released a statement. “My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual.”
He said he’s stepping back from ESPN duties for now. “I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me,” he wrote. “I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”
Sharpe also expressed gratitude. “I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues.”
ESPN responded with its own statement. It told Front Office Sports, “this is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”
The allegations come from a woman who was 19 at the time. She claims the incidents happened in late 2024 and early 2025. Her attorney, Tony Buzbee, filed the lawsuit in Nevada state court.
The lawsuit accuses Sharpe of assault, sexual assault, battery, and sexual battery. It seeks $50 million in damages.
Sharpe’s lawyer, Lanny J. Davis, also rejected the claims. He said a $10 million settlement was offered recently, but the plaintiff withdrew. “We were blindsided,” Davis added at a press conference.