Shannon Sharpe temporarily stepping away from ESPN amid rape allegations

Shannon Sharpe is temporarily stepping away from his role on ESPN’s “First Take” following the filing of a $50 million lawsuit in which a Nevada woman identified as Jane Doe alleged he raped and threatened her during a two-year relationship. Sharpe announced his hiatus via a post to X 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. I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues,” he said.

Following Sharpe’s social media post, ESPN also released a statement: “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”

The lawsuit against Sharpe seeks damages for “pain and suffering, psychological and emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment, and humiliation.” Attorney Tony Buzbee, who previously represented more than 20 women who accused quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault, filed the suit against Sharpe in a Las Vegas District Court on Sunday.

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In the complaint against Sharpe, Doe alleges he approached her at a Los Angeles gym in January 2023. She did not know who Sharpe was at the time, but the lawsuit said the pair soon began a “consensual” but “deeply manipulative” relationship. The suit alleges that Sharpe became increasingly controlling and physically abusive over the next two years, including threatening to kill Doe numerous times for resisting his sexual advances and accusing him of infidelity.

According to the lawsuit, Sharpe raped Doe twice in October 2024 and again in January 2025. It also accuses Sharpe of repeatedly recording the two having sex without Doe’s knowledge or consent.

Buzbee released a brief audio clip to several media outlets Tuesday in which Sharpe allegedly said he will choke Doe if she accuses him of manipulating her. In a conference call later that day, Sharpe’s attorney Lanny Davis said the audio was “edited in a warped and distorted way.”

Davis said Sharpe offered Doe at least $10 million to settle the case before she filed the lawsuit, but she declined.

Sharpe called the lawsuit a “shakedown” and denied the allegations Tuesday in a video statement on X. He appeared on “First Take” the same day.

The NFL preseason begins on July 31 with the Detroit Lions facing the Los Angeles Chargers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

(Photo: Cindy Ord / Getty Images for SiriusXM )

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