Shannon Sharpe steps away from ESPN amid rape allegation

Former Denver Broncos tight end and current broadcaster Shannon Sharpe said on social media Thursday that he’s stepping away from ESPN, just four days after he was accused of rape in a $50 million civil lawsuit.

The civil lawsuit was filed Sunday in Clark County, Nevada. It seeks damages for claims of assault, sexual assault, battery, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress while alleging multiple nonconsensual sexual encounters involving Sharpe in the accuser’s Las Vegas apartment.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer says he’s “temporarily” vacating the First Take desk, in hopes of coming back for the NFL preseason.  Sharpe denies the allegations and says he will use his time to respond and deal “with these false and disruptive allegations set against me.”

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— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) April 24, 2025

Sharpe, 56, has repeatedly denied any allegations made by a Jane Doe, who says she was sexually assaulted by the former football player in late 2024 and early 2025.

ESPN said in a statement to the New York Post, “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”

The situation has boiled over publicly this week with the accuser’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, releasing an audio recording where Sharpe can be heard telling the woman, “I might choke you in public.”

In previously released recordings, Sharpe can be heard telling the accuser, “If you say that word one more time, I’m going to f***ing choke the s**** out of you when I see you.”

Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny J. Davis, responded by sharing a series of explicit text messages that he says were between the accuser and Sharpe. Davis believes the texts confirm a consensual relationship that involves “role-playing” and “fantasy.”

Davis shared that Sharpe and the accuser were close to settling this dispute for at least $10 million, but that Doe backed out. Sharpe has said that the lawsuit is a “shakedown.”

Last fall, Sharpe was involved in another sexual incident, where he says he accidentally livestreamed audio on Instagram of himself having sex. ESPN did not discipline Sharpe.

Sharpe played 14 years in the NFL, 12 of which were in Denver. He won two Super Bowls for the Broncos, catching passes from John Elway, and is regarded as one of the best tight ends in league history. Since retiring after 2003, Sharpe has remained a public figure as one of the most outspoken broadcasters on television.

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