Shannon Sharpe, the former NFL star who took a hiatus as a commentator on ESPN‘s “First Take” after he was accused of sexual assault by an ex-girlfriend, is not returning to the sports cabler, Variety has confirmed. The decision by ESPN comes after he settled the lawsuit earlier this month.
A person familiar with the matter said Sharpe is not expected to return to ESPN from the break he announced in April 2025 to deal with his legal entanglements. Contacted by Variety, ESPN declined to make executives available for comment.
Reps for Sharpe did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ESPN’s severing of ties with Sharpe was first reported by the New York Times’ The Athletic.
Sharpe had faced a $50 million lawsuit from a Nevada woman who alleged the former NFL player raped and threatened her over the course of a two-year relationship. In a statement posted on X in April, Sharpe said he was “electing to step aside temporarily” from his duties at ESPN, where he was featured prominently on “First Take,” the sports-talk roundtable show led by Stephen A. Smith. He also said in the statement that “The relationship in question was 100% consensual” and he called the allegations “false and disruptive.” Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny J. Davis, had said in a statement that the lawsuit was a “blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars” and was “filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations.”
Lawyers for Sharpe and the woman (identified in the suit as “Jane Doe”) agreed to a settlement after “protracted and respectful” negotiations, her attorney, Tony Buzbee, said in a July 18 post on X. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The complaint was dismissed with prejudice.
When Sharpe announced his break from “First Take,” ESPN had said in a statement, “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”
Sharpe, 57, joined ESPN as a “First Take” contributor in 2023 and ESPN unveiled a new pact in 2024 under which he was to expand his presence on the popular program. Sharpe had usually appeared on “First Take” on Mondays and Tuesdays. He also hosts a podcast called “Club Shay Shay.”
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During his NFL career, Sharpe played predominantly for the Denver Broncos. He gained traction as a sportscaster by holding forth with Skip Bayless on Fox Sports’ “Undisputed.”
From Variety US