Just hours after ESPN star Shannon Sharpe announced he would be temporarily leaving the network amid ongoing rape allegations, he is hosting his popular Nightcap podcast.
On Easter Sunday, Sharpe was served a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and sexual battery, among other allegations. Since then, Sharpe and his accuser have engaged in a fiery public back-and-forth that has seen numerous audio tapes and text messages released to the press from both parties.
Thursday afternoon, Sharpe posted a statement to social media indicating he would stop his regular appearances on ESPN until the NFL preseason.
“My statement is found here and this is the truth,” Sharpe’s departure announcement began. “The relationship in question was 100% consensual. 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 statement continued. “I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues.”
Despite his statement insinuating that he would like to stay out of the public eye during this time for the sake of his family, Sharpe decided to host Nightcap as planned alongside co-host Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson on Thursday night.
Connecting the dots, it’s not much of a leap to suggest that, given Sharpe’s Nightcap appearance, it wasn’t really his decision to take a break from ESPN after all.
ESPN has been mum about addressing the allegations against Sharpe. The former tight end made both of his regular appearances on First Take this week despite seemingly damaging audio having been released before his Tuesday appearance. Shortly following Sharpe’s temporary departure statement on Thursday, ESPN released a short statement saying, “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.” It’s the only official comment the network has made on the matter.
However, despite publicly remaining at arm’s length, the network likely played a role in Sharpe taking his temporary leave.
Shannon Sharpe and his legal team have ardently maintained his innocence since the lawsuit was filed earlier this week. Thursday evening, after Sharpe announced his hiatus from ESPN, his lawyer emphatically declared that there will be no settlement with the accuser and that they plan to countersue for defamation.
Sharpe has not yet addressed the lawsuit during Thursday’s episode of Nightcap.