Shannon Sharpe has announced he is electing to leave ESPN temporarily in the wake of a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and rape.
Sharpe made the announcement Thursday afternoon in a written statement released on his social media accounts.
“My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe began in the announcement. “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.”
The lawsuit accusing Sharpe of sexual assault and rape was filed on April 20 by a woman identified as “Jane Doe.” Sharpe has since named the woman in response to the lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff is seeking $50 million in damages. Last week, it was reported that Sharpe’s Shay Shay Media could be in line for a $100 million deal as his contract with The Volume comes to an end.
Despite the allegations against him, Sharpe remained on First Take this Monday and Tuesday. However, as details about the lawsuit continued to leak, it became evident that keeping Sharpe on ESPN would be challenging. Stephen A. Smith addressed the allegations earlier this week and alluded to the possibility that ESPN would have to part ways with Sharpe.
Ultimately, it was Sharpe who announced he was electing to step away. ESPN quickly followed with a statement saying, “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.” ESPN, however, did not comment on Sharpe’s plans to return in four months.
Sharpe signed a multiyear contract with ESPN last year. The Pro Football Hall-of-Famer has not made any announcements about the future of his Shay Shay Media podcasts and has continued to co-host Nightcap with Chad Johnson this week.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com