There isn’t a media personality in the country more in the eye of the storm than former Denver Broncos tight end and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe is right now.
In the middle of a bevy of accusations of sexual assault and a $50 million civil lawsuit, the popular co-host on ESPN’s”First Take” and co-host of the “Club Shay Shay” and “Nightcap” podcasts, Sharpe announced on Thursday he was stepping away from ESPN until the NFL preseason to deal with his unraveling personal and professional lives.
Sharpe, 56 years old, made the decision to step away just after he was accused of multiple instances of sexual assault by a female “Jane Doe” in a civil lawsuit filed in Nevada on April 20 by attorney Tony Buzbee, the same attorney who has represented alleged victims in lawsuits against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and rapper Jay-Z.
“The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe wrote in a statement posted to his official X account on April 24. “At this juncture I am electing to temporarily step aside from my ESPN duties. 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.”
Sharpe’s decision comes as several more instances from his past have come to light.
From Front Office Sports:”Before Sharpe’s time at ESPN, when he was the cohost of FS1’s Undisputed, he was accused of choking a female production assistant in the workplace, two sources with knowledge of the incident tell Front Office Sports. One source said Sharpe and Fox settled with the accuser for several hundred thousand dollars. There was no lawsuit filed against Sharpe in the incident … In 2010, Sharpe briefly stepped away from his role on CBS’s NFL Today studio show after he was accused of sexual assault. He returned to the network after a restraining order was dismissed.”
Sharpe’s tumultuous week comes as he was reportedly close to a $100 million media contract for the Shay Shay Network group of podcasts, according to FOS.
Sharpe Made Move to Join ESPN in 2023
Sharpe was “recruited” by “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith to join ESPN in 2023, where he’s reportedly paid $6.5 million per year.
“Sharpe’s biggest value to ESPN is during football season, as he was one of the great tight ends in NFL history,” The Athletic’s Jimmy Marchand wrote on April 24. “The sport never really slows down these days, but if there was a time for a respite, it’s the start of summer. This isn’t an easy spot for ESPN, because the truth of the situation is unknown. What has been out there has been ugly — and uncomfortable for Disney-owned ESPN.”
Sharpe played 14 seasons in the NFL from 1990 to 2003 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time. He was a 3-time Super Bowl champion, including back to back titles with the Broncos in 1997 and 1998, along with being a 5-time NFL All-Pro and 8-time Pro Bowler. Sharpe, who also played for the Baltimore Ravens, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Embattled Former Broncos Star Steps Away From ESPN Amidst $50 Million Scandal appeared first on Heavy Sports.