Shannon Sharpe is taking a brief depart from ESPN after he was accused of rape in a $50 million civil lawsuit on Sunday.
The 56-year-old, who seems on ESPN’s “First Take,” has repeatedly denied the allegations made by a Jane Doe that he sexually assaulted her in late 2024 and early 2025.
“My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe stated in an announcement posted to social media on Thursday.
“At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily 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.”
The accuser’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, launched an audio recording this week wherein Sharpe could be heard telling the girl, “I might choke you in public.”
Sharpe’s lawyer, Lanny J. Davis, launched a sequence of specific textual content messages he says have been despatched from the accuser to Sharpe, which Davis says illustrates the 2 had a consensual relationship that concerned “role-playing” and “fantasy.”
One alleged textual content from the accuser in October 2023 says, “I want you to put a dog collar around my neck and choke me with it while you’re f–king me.”
Davis additionally stated this week Sharpe and the accuser have been near a settlement value “at least $10 million” earlier than she backed out.
It is a growing story. Please examine again for updates.
