ESPN cuts ties with Shannon Sharpe — reports
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) has cut ties with former NFL professional tight end and popular podcast host Shannon Shannon, according to a report from The Athletic.
The decision comes two weeks after he settled a lawsuit with his ex-girlfriend who had accused him of rape.
Sharpe has not appeared on ESPN since the lawsuit was filed back in late April. Sharpe, who denied any wrongdoing, had announced that he planned to return to ESPN at the start of NFL training camp, a statement ESPN declined to comment on, a Basket News report said.
Sharpe was accused of sexual assault and battery by a woman identified as Jane Doe. Doe brought a civil lawsuit against Sharpe for $50 million.
The two reportedly met at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023 when the woman was 19 years old and began a relationship spanning two years.
She alleged that Sharpe raped her on two occasions, in October 2024 and January 2025, and displayed controlling and abusive behaviour. This, she said, included recording sexual encounters without her consent and threatening violence.
Sharpe, however, denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit a “shakedown” and insisted the relationship was consensual.
Lanny Davis, his lawyer, noted that Sharpe had offered $10 million to settle before the suit was filed, but that offer was rejected.
The settlement was announced on July 18, 2025, by the plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, who said all matters were resolved and the case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again. No details of the settlement were shared, according to the report.
