DONE

Shannon Sharpe Out at ESPN After Settling Rape Suit

The former NFL player stepped away from his on-screen duties in April.

Shannon Sharpe will not return to ESPN’s First Take. The network officially parted ways with the former Broncos tight end two weeks after Sharpe settled a $50 million sexual assault lawsuit brought by a former girlfriend who accused him of raping her multiple times. Sharpe, 57, had been an on-screen analyst at First Take since 2023, but announced in April that he would take a hiatus from the show just days after the suit was first filed. However, Sharpe had previously said he planned to return to First Take for the next NFL preseason in August. Sharpe, who retired from the NFL in 2003, also hosts the podcasts Club Shay Shay and Nightcap, and has continued to publish episodes of both. Though the details of his settlement were kept private, the unidentified woman who sued Sharpe initially sought $50 million and alleged that Sharpe had been controlling and abusive during their relationship. The broadcaster has strongly denied all allegations, calling the lawsuit a “shakedown,” insisting the relationship was “100% consensual,” and alleging the woman’s attorney “targets Black men.” The Daily Beast reached out to Sharpe for comment and did not receive a response. ESPN declined to comment.